COPYRIGHTED    1638. 


BUFFALO  BILL  TO  THE  RESCUE. 


\j 
i 


eroes 

of  the 


Plains 


OR 


Lives  and  Wonderful  Adventures 


OF 


Wild  Bill,  Buffalo  Bill,  Kit  Carson,  Capt. 

Payne,  "White  Beaver,"  Capt.  Jack, 

Texas  Jack,  California  Joe, 

AND   OTHER 

CELEBRATED  INDIAN  FIGHTERS,  SCOUTS,  HUNTERS  AND  GUIDES, 

- 

INCLUDING 

A  TRUE  AND  THHII,I,ING  HISTORY  OF  GEN.   OUSTER'S  FAM- 

OUS "LAST  FIGHT"   ON  THE  I,ITTI,E  BIG  HORN,  WITH 

SITTING  BUI,!,  ;  AI^SO  A  SKETCH  OF  THE  I,IFE  OF 

SITTING  BUI,!,,  AND  HIS  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 

CUSTER  MASSACRE,  AS  RELATED  TO 

THE  AUTHOR  IN  PERSON. 

By  the  Author  of  "Mysteries  and  Miseries  of  America's  Great  Cities,"    '  Border 

Outlaws,"  etc.,  etc. 


•u 
PROFUSELY  IU,USTRATED. 


PHILADELPHIA,    PA. 

WEST  PHILADELPHIA  PUBLISHING  CO., 

3941   Market  Street. 


Copyright,  1891,  by 

HISTORICAL  PUBLISHING  Co. 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 


PUBLISHED  AND  MANUFACTURED  BY 

HISTORICAL  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 
PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


ncroft 


AUTHOR'S   PREFACE. 


THE  work  of  preparing  a  brief  history  of  the  greatest 
ef  plains-heroes  has  been  one  of  especial  pleasure  to  me, 
although  at  times  many  obstacles  interposed  themselves 
which  only  perseverance  could  remove.  But  the  labor, 
nevertheless,  has  afforded  me  no  little  enjoyment,  as  it 
brought  to  my  immediate  consideration  deeds  of  prow- 
ess, cunning  and  endurance,  putting  to  a  test  the  meas- 
ure of  man's  possibilities  in  a  particular  field  of  action. 
It  is  our  natural  disposition  to  admire  true  heroes,  and 
not  only  to  admire,  but  to  exalt  their  acts,  and  this  uni- 
versal feeling,  perhaps  exaggerated  in  myself,  was  one 
of  the  motives  which  impelled  me  into  a  preparation 
of  ««  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS."  While  this  volume 
abounds  with  thrilling  adventures,  sanguinary  encoun- 
ters and  personal  combats  of  the  most  startling  charac- 
ter, yet  through  every  page  there  is  observed  a  thread 
of  wholesome  justice,  upon  which  is  strung  every  deed 
recounted,  preserving  a  forcible  and  moral  influence 
beneficial  to  young  and  old  alike. 

In  compiling  these  personal  histories  I  have  adhered 
strictly  to  facts  without  florid  coloring.  I  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  Wild  Bill  for  several  years  before  his  death, 
and  in  1879  wrote  a  pamphlet  sketch  of  his  life,  but  dis- 
covered afterward  that  while  it  contained  comparatively 
few  ©f  bis  adventures,  there  were  several  mortifying  er~ 


10  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

rors,  a  correction  of  which  influenced  me  to  write  another 
sketch  of  the  famous  scout,  and  this  labor  developed  into 
"  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS."  I  was  fortunate  in  securing 
Wild  Bill's  diary  from  his  widow,  Mrs.  Agnes  Lake 
Hickok,  of  Cincinnati,  from  which  I  have  drawn  my  facts 
Concerning  him,  that  there  might  be  no  mistakes  or 
omissions  in  recounting  the  marvelous  exploits  of  his  life 
in  this  publication. 

Buffalo  Bill,  who  now  stands  unchallenged  as  the 
greatest  plainsman  living,  was  an  intimate  friend  of 
Wild  Bill,  and  the  two,  so  long  connected  in  their  won- 
derful careers,  deserve  a  conjunctive  position  in  history, 
such  as  I  have  here  given  them. 

The  other  heroes,  Kit  Carson,  Capt.  Jack,  Gen.  Custer, 
Capt.  Payne,  California  Joe,  and  Texas  Jack,  have  each 
made  their  private  mark  over  the  wild  expanse  of  West- 
ern wilderness,  in  the  highway  they  so  ably  assisted  in 
preparing  for  civilization  and  its  peaceful  pursuits  :  teem- 
ing harvests,  happy  homes,  the  building  of  cities,  exten- 
sion of  commerce  and  all  attendant  blessings.  They 
fought  the  fight  whose  victory  has  moved  the  center  of 
wealth  and  population  Westward,  and  therefore  deserve 
the  exultant  recognition  of  every  American  whose  patri- 
otism extends  from  the  heart  to  the  MoH  \tf  his  nativity. 

J.  W.  B. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


ILLUMINATED  TITLE.  PAGE. 

].  B.  Hickok  (Wild  Bill),                ....  20 

Wild  Bill's  Birth  Place,-         -  22 

Disembarking  in  a  Kansas  Mob,                     ...  27 

Wild  Bill  Driving  into  Santa  Fe,                            -  31 

Wild  Bill  and  his  Men  Charging  the  Indian  Camp,  35 

WILD  BILL  AND  THE  CINNAMON  BEAR,                -  39 

WILD  BILL'S  FIGHT  WITH  THE  McCANDLAS  GANG,  45 

A  Close  Shave,        -                -                -                -                -  56 

Wild  Bill  in  Disguise,    -  67 

Wild  Bill  Surprises  the  Sleepy  Sentinel,                                -  71 
Man-to-yu  kee  (Conquering  Bear), 

WILD  BILL'S  DUEL  WITH  CONQUERING  BEAR,  8} 

Wild  Bill  and  Mrs.  Rogers  in  the  Park,          -                                -  89 

Wild  Bild  Satisfies  the  Natives,                                               -  94 

A  Duel  with  Four  Men    -  97 

WILD  BILL  KILLING  BLACK  KETTLE,    -  101 

Scenery  on  the  Route  Traveled  by  the  Wilson  Party,  109 

The  Principal  Amusement  at  Hays  City,                                  -  -         in 

WILD  BILL'S  FIGHT  WITH  FIFTEEN  SOLDIERS,  1 19 

The  Aboriginal  Part  of  the  Outfit,         -                -                -  -        129 

The  Bear  and  the  Sausages,          -                -                -  131 

A  Street  in  Abilene,                •  134 

A  Ride  for  Life,             ...              .                           .  154 

Wild  Bill  Accidentally  Kills  a  Friend,            -                -                -  136 

PUNISHING  A  BOGUS  CHARACTER,         -               -  165 

The  Cabin  in  the  Black  Hills,         -                -                                -  171 

Wild  Bill  and  the  Fox,  -        173 

Taking  Desperate  Chances,            .                .  177 

Wild  Bill's  Miraculous  Escape  from  the  Indians,  -        179 

Deadwood  in  Embryo,     -  186 

ASSASSINATION  OF  WILD  BILL,                                -  -        189 

Execution  of  Jack  McCall,                               ...  205 

Wild  Bill's  Grave,                                    -                -                -  209 

Gen.  Forsyth  and  his  Beleaguered  Scouts,    •  222 
Pony  Express,                                           ....        223 

Hon.  Wm.  F.  Cody  (Buffalo  Bill),                  ...  224 

Stabbing  of  Buffalo  Bill's  Father,          •               -               -  230 

Battle  of  Ash  Hollow,     -                                 -  245 
The  Attack  on  the  Stage  Coach,            ....        267 

Inside  the  Robbers'  Dug-Out,         -  271 

BUFFALO  BILL  WINS  THE  CHAMPIONSHIP,        -  -        297 

AMBUSHING  THE  INDIANS,                 -               -  303 

"  Hi  yi-yip-yah"— The  Attack,               -                -                -  313 

Beaver  Creek,  the  Trapper's  Ely sian,             -                -                -  317 

BUFFALO  BILL  IN  CLOSE  QUARTERS,     -  -        322 

Buffalo  Bill  Tries  a  Shot  at  Long  Range,       -  329 

Major  Frank  North,                -                -                -  332 

Silver  Bricks  awaiting  Shipment,            -                                       -  336 

Death  of  Tall   Bull,         -                                 ...  344 

Two  Indians  at  One  Shot,    ...  .        347 

The  Marriage  Ceremony,                 -  353 

"How!  How!"      -                               -                .                -  356 

The  Grand  Duke's  First  Buffalo,    ....  358 

11 


12  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Residence  of  Hon.  W.  F.  Cody  (Buffalo  Bill)  at  North  Platte,  Neb.,         374 

Brerent  Major-Gen.  Geo.  A.  Custer,     -  -  .                      377 

Gen.  Ouster's  Interpreter  Addressing  the  Assembled  Sioux,        -  380 

DEATH  OF  GENERAL  CUSTER,  -        389 

The  Monument  where  Custer  Fell,                 -               -  392 

BUFFALO  BILL'S  DUEL  WITH  YELLOW  HAND,  -               -        397 

A  Shot  that  Beat  William  Tell's,   -  407 

California  Joe,         -                -                -                -  -                -418 

CALIFORNIA  JOE  AT  THE  STAKE,     -               -  423 

The  Indians  Receiving  the  White  Girl  into  their  Canoe,  -                -        435 

CALIFORNIA  JOE  ATTACKED  BY  A  PANTHER,  446 
California  Joe  Saves  his  Friend,             ....        448 

"Ugh!  White  Man,"                      ...  -                451 
Kit  Carson  and  his  Blind  Horse,            ....        458 

Kit  Carson  Employed  as  a  Horse  Tamer,       -  463 

Treed  by  a   Hungry  Grizzly,                 -  472 

Hunting  the  Trail,           -----  474 

Carson's  Duel  with  the  Frenchman,       ...  -        478 

Kit  Carson  Saves  his  Fallen  Comrade,          -                -  -                481 

Carson's  Fight  with  a  Mexican  Lion,     -  -        483 

Kit  Carson's  Indian  Wife,                                                -  484 

Carson  and  the  Wounded  Buffalo,        -  -        489 

Scene  in  Taos,  N.  M.,     -----  494 

Capt.  D.  L.  Payne,                 -                -               -  -                -        498 

THE  MURDER  OF  MRS.  BLINN,  509 

Marching  Through  the  Snow,                 -  -         512 

Departure  of  the  Cheyennes,                           -  -                S17 

A  Cheyenne  Warrior,                               -                -  -                '         525 

Colonel  Coppinger  Visits  the  Camp,              -                -  529 

Drilling  the  Colonists,  -         532 

White  Beaver  (Dr.  D.  F.  Powell),                 -                -  534 

White  Beaver  Charging  the  Indians,     -  -        543 

A  Ghastly  Duel,               -                                                  -  -                546 

White  Beaver's  Desperate  Fight  for  Life,            -  554 

The  Fight  in  Massacre  Canon,        -                                -  557 

Combat  with  the  Norwegian,                 -  -        5"1 

Punishment  of  an  Indian  Adulteress,                             -  •                564 

Sitting  Bull,  -        572 

Surrender  of  Sitting  Bull  and  his  people,      -  577 

Rain-in-the-Face,   -  -581 

Crow  King,      -  58S 

Gall,                          -  589 

Low-Dog,         ...                              -  591 

Diagram  of  the  Custer  Battle-Field,      -  '594 

Final  Charge  of  the  Indians  on  Custer' s  Men,              -  '                597 

Custer' s  Last  Shot,                  -  -598 

Capt.  Jack,  the  Poet  Scout,  ooo 

Oura,        -  6o5 

Texas  Jack,    -  •                607 

Tack  Holding  the  Indians  at  Bay,  6or 

Flagging  Antelope,         -               -               -               -  -               **• 


CONTENTS. 


LIFE  OF  WILD  BILL. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  I.— Birth— Family  History— Early  Life— Youthful 
Hunting  Adventures — Desperate  Fight  on  a  Towpath— 
Leaves  Home  to  take  part  in  the  Kansas  War — Receives 
the  Title  of  "Shanghai  Bill" — Lively  Times  in  Kansas,  21 — 30 

CHAPTER  II.— Stage  Driving  across  the  Plains— Trouble  with  the 
Indians — Bill  Leads  an  Expedition  against  them — Desper- 
ate Fight  and  Brilliant  Victory — Freighting  to  New  Mexico 
— Terrific  Fight  with  a  Cinnamon  Bear — Bill  Cleans  out  the 
McCandlas  Gang  at  Rock  Creek,  and  wins  the  Title  of 
"Wild  Bill,"  -  30—50 

CHAPTER  III.— Wild  Bill  Enlists  in  the  Union  Army— Remarka- 
ble Shooting  at  Pea  Ridge — Becomes  a  Spy  for  General 
Curtis — Makes  his  way  to  the  Confederates  and  becomes 
an  Orderly  to  Gen.  Price — Desperate  Adventure  with  Jake 
Lawson — A  Ride  for  Life — An  Unprofitable  Horse  Race,  50 — 63 

CHAPTER  IV. — Wild  Bill  again  enters  the  Confederate  Lines — 
Humorous  Adventure  with  an  Old  Darkey — Assumes  the 
role  of  an  Arkansaw  Traveler — Is  Detected  and  Condemned 
to  be  Shot — Escapes  by  Killing  his  Guard,  -  63 — 72 

CHAPTER  V.— Bill  Declines  longer  to  serve  as  a  Spy— Remarkable 
Adventure  with  Three  Bushwhackers — Black  Nell — Bowie- 
Knife  Duel  with  Conquering  Bear,  -  -  72 — 85 

CHAPTER  VI.— Mary  Logan,  the  Beautiful  Indian  Girl— Her 
Singular  Infatuation  for  Wild  Bill — The  Romance  of  Love 
— Mary  Logan  Poisons  her  Husband  and  Disappears  For- 
ever—Duel with  Dave  Tutt,  in  which  Bill  "Satisfies  the 
Natives,"  -  -  86—95 

CHAPTER  VII.— Wild  Bill  Fights  a  Duel  with  Four  Men— Expedi- 
tion Against  Black  Kettle — Desperate  Battle  on  the  Wachita 
—Bill  Kills  Black  Kettle,  -  -  96—10$ 

CHAT7ER  VIIL— W^ld  Bill  Visits  Chicago— Some  Roughs  try  to 
Tame  him — Ignominious  Failure  of  the  Attempt — Bill  Re- 
ceives a  Letter  from  Vice-President  Wilson — Serves  as 
Guide  for  the  Vice-President's  Party,  and  is  Presented  with 
a  Pair  of  Ivory-Handled  Pistols— Bill  is  Elected  Marshal  of 
Hays  City,  -  •  • 

II 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX.— Jack  Strawhan's  Fatal  Mistake— Bill  Mulvey  un- 
dertakes to  ''Run  the  Town"— But  Runs  against  Wild 
Bill's  Pistol — Desperate  Fight  with  16  Soldiers,  -  113 — 124 

CHAPTER  X.— Wild  Bill's  Buffalo  Speculation— Captures  a  Herd 
of  Wild  Buffaloes  and  Exhibits  them  at  Niagara — Result, 
Bankruptcy — Bill  becomes  Marshal  of  Abilene,  Kan.— 
Fatal  Row  with  Phil  Cole — Wild  Bill  and  the  Professor  of 
Pugilism,  -  124—139 

CHAPTER  XL— $5,000  offered  for  Wild  Bill's  Heart— Eight  Texas 
Desperadoes  Accept  the  Offer,  but  fail  to  Deliver  the  Goods 
—Death  of  Bill  Thompson— Wild  Bill  Kills  and  Scalps 
Phil  Cole's  Cousin,  -  140—149 

CHAPTER  XII.— Mrs.  Lake  Finds  a  Champion  in  Wild  Bill— Who 
Makes  a  Speech  in  her  Favor — Bill  Visits  Kansas  City — 
Description  of  that  Place  in  its  Early  Days — Bill  Tames  a 
Rash  Young  Man,  -  150 — 156 

CHAPTER  X1IL— Wild  Bill  as  an  Actor— The  Tricks  he  played  on 
the  "Supes" — Settles  a  Crowd  of  Roughs,  who  were 
Spoiling  to  Fight  the  entire  Combination — Adventure  with 
a  Party  of  Merchants  at  Portland,  Maine — Wild  Bill  makes 
?  Decided  Hit — Cleans  out  a  Bogus  Theatrical  Troupe  for 
using  his  Name  without  Authority — Goes  West  again — Is 
Attacked  by  Two  Villains  and  Kills  them  Both,  -  156 — 169 

CHAPTER  XIV.— Expedition  to  the  Black  Hills— Adventure  with 
the  Silver  Grey  Fox — Bill's  Companions  Attacked  and 
Killed  by  Indians — His  own  Marvelous  Adventures  and 
Final  Escape,  -  -  170 — 180 

CHAPTER  XV.— Wild  Bill  Accidentally  meets  Mrs.  Lake— Pro- 
poses Marriage,  is  Accepted,  and  the  Wedding  takes  place 
— Pleasant  Visit  to  Cincinnati — Sketch  of  Mrs.  Lake  and 
her  Daughter  Emma,  -  -  180—185 

CHAPTER  XVI.— Bill's  Last  Expedition  to  the  Black  Hills— Affec- 
tionate Letter  to  his  Wife — Assassination  of  Wild  Bill  by 
Jack  McCall,  -  -  185—192 

CHAPTER  XVIL— The  Murderer's  Trial  and  Acquittal,  192—198 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— Funeral  of  Wild  Bill— California  Joe's  Warn- 
ing to  the  Murderer — Capt.  Jack's  Poem  on  the  Burial  of 
Wild  Bill,  -.  -  198—203 

CHAPTER  XIX.— Second  Trial  of  Jack  McCall— His  Conviction 

and  Execution — Pathetic  Letter  from  his  Sister,  -  203 — 207 

CHAPTER  XX.— Removal  of  Wild  Bill's  Remains,  which  are 
found  to  be  Petrified — "Wild  Bill's  Grave" — Peculiarities 
of  the  Great  Scout — His  Love  for  Black  Nell — His  Wonder- 
ful Dexterity  in  the  use  of  Fire  Arms — Gen.  Custer's  Opin- 
ion of  Wild  Bill,  -  ...  207— a*" 


CONTENTS. 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO  BILL. 

CHAPTER  I. — Birth  and  Early  Life — Experiences  with  Mormons 
and  Frontier  Characters — The  Kansas  Troubles — Attempt- 
ed Assassination  of  Billy's  Father — Billy  Rescues  his  Father 
from  a  Mob — Attempt  to  Blow  up  the  Cody  Residence  with 
Ppwder,  225 — 334. 

CHAPTER  II. — Billy  runs  away  from  Home  to  become  a  Herder — 
Returns  with  his  Pockets  full  of  Silver,  which  he  gives  to 
his  Mother — Goes  to  School — His  First  Sweetheart — Fight 
with  his  Rival — "I'm  killed!  I'm  killed!" — Billy  again 
Leaves  Home  to  Escape  Imaginary  Dangers — Is  Followed 
by  his  Rival's  Father — But  Escapes  his  Fury — Death  of  the 
Elder  Mr.  Cody-  Billy's  Efforts  to  Help  his  Mother— His 
First  Fight  with  Indians— The  Retreat— Billy  Slays  the 
"Biggest  Indian  in  the  Outfit" — Returns  Home  to  Find 
himself  Famous,  ...  234 — 24* 

CHAPTER  III.— Billy  "  Goes  West"  again— Description  of  Over- 
land Freighting— A  Singular  Obligation — "  Bull- Whack- 
ers "  and  "  Cow-Boys  "—The  Camp  Wrecked  by  a  Buffalo 
Stampede — Captured  by  Mormons — Who  Rob  the  Train, 
but  Release  the  Men — Perilous  March  across  the  Plains — 
Desperate  Fight  with  Indians — Billy  Shoots  a  Warrior  at 
Long  Range — The  Rescue — Trapping — Camping  in  a  Grave 
Yard,  -  243— 233 

CHAPTER  IV.— "  Pike's  Peak  or  Bust "— "  Busted  "—The  Re- 
turn— Adventures  on  a  Raft — Billy  becomes  a  ' '  Pony  Ex- 
press" Rider,  254 — 257 

CHAPTER  V. — Billy  and  Dave  Harrington  as  Trappers — The  Ac- 
cident— Alone  on  the  Prairie — Visited  by  Indians — Twenty- 
Nine  Days  of  Lonely  Suffering — Help  at  Last — The  Return 
— Death  of  Noble  Dave  Harrington,  257 — 263 

CHAPTER  VI. — Stage  Driving — Narrow  Escape  from  Massacre — 

Battle  of  Clear  Creek,  264—269 

CHAPTER  VII.— Billy's  Adventure  with  the  Robbers— Kills  one 

of  the  Band  and  Escapes  by  Shrewd  Strategy,  269 — 27J 

CHAPTER  VIII.— The  Great  Civil  War—" Red  Legs "  and  "Bor- 
der Ruffians"— ^Billy's  Service  as  a  Soldier  and  Scout — 
Adventure  in  Southern  Missouri,  -  275 — 280 

CHAPTER  IX.— Close  of  the  War— Billy  falls  in  Love  and  is  Mar- 
ried— Wedding  Trip  to  Kansas — The  Boat  Attacked  by 
Bushwhackers — Ovation  at  Leavenworth — Housekeeping — 
Scouting  for  Gen.  Custer,  -  280 — 285 


CONTENTS . 

CHAPTER  X.— The  "  Colored  Troops  "  fail  to  Fight  Nobly— But 
Unlimber  Themselves  and  "Light  Out" — Saved  by  the 
Darkness — A  Town  Speculation — Rome  "  Howls" — Dr. 
Webb  and  his  Little  Scheme — Rome  does  not  prove  to  be 
an  Eternal  City— Buffalo  Hunting— Cody  Wins  the  Title  of 
"Buffalo  Bill,"  285—291 

CHAPTER  XL -The  Great  Buffalo  Hunting  Contest— Numerous 
Visitors — Great  Excitement — Magnificent  Display  of  Skill 
in  Riding  and  Shooting — Buffalo  Bill  Wins  the  Stakes,  292 — 299 

CHAPTER  XII.— Bill  is  Captured  by  Indians— But  Escapes  through 
Strategy  and  the  Fleetness  of  his  Mule — The  Ambush — 
Marvelous  Riding  as  a  Dispatch  Carrier — The  "Govern- 
ment Mule,"  ......  299 — 311 

CHAPTER  XIIL— Gen.  Forsythe's  Desperate  Battle  with  the  Indi- 
ans— Buffalo  Bill  as  Scout  and  Hunter — Drives  a  Herd  of 
Buffaloes  into  Camp  and  Kills  them — Fighting  Indians — 
Close  Quarters,  -  -  311 — 320 

CHAPTER  XIV.— The  Battle  with  Black  Kettle's  Band— Pursuit 
of  Horse  Thieves— "Throw  up  your  Hands,  or  I'll  Kill 
You,"  -  320—327 

CHAPTER  XV.— Buffalo  Bill  Kills  an  Indian  at  Long  Range- 
Major  North  and  his  Pawnees — Numerous  Indian  Fights,  328 — 339 

CHAPTER  XVI.— Scouts  and  Battles— Buffalo   Bill  shoots  Tall 

Bull— Camp  Life,  -  -  -        339—345 

CHAPTER  XVIL— Buffalo  Bill's  Wonderful  Horsemanship— He 
Kills  Two  Indians  at  One  Shot— The  Pawnee  Sentinel- 
Buffalo  Bill  as  a  'Squire— A  New  Way  to  "Replevin"  a 
Stolen  Horse — The  Wedding  Ceremony,  -  -  345 — 353 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— Buffalo  Bill  Serves  as  Guide  for  Distinguished 
Hunting  Parties— The  Duke  Alexis— Spotted  Tail  and  his 
Indians— The  Duke  Kills  his  First  Buffalo— Bill  Treats  him 
to  a  "Western  Stage  Drive  "—Buffalo  Bill  Visits  New 
York  on  the  Invitation  of  Prominent  Citizens — Another 
Brush  with  the  Indians,  •  354 — 363 

CHAPTER  XIX.— Buffalo  Bill  is  Elected  a  Member  of  the  Legis- 
lature— Ned  Buntline  Makes  him  an  Offer  to  go  on  the 
Stage — Bill  and  Texas  Jack  Learning  their  Parts — Splendid 
Success,  363—372 

CHAPTER  XX. — Acting  and  Scouting — Death  of  Little  Kit — Prep- 
arations for  the  Little  Big  Horn  Expedition,  373 — 382 

CHAPTER  XXL— History   of  the   Unfortunate    Expedition  to  the 

Little  Big  Horn — Custer's  Last  Fight  and  Death,         -        382 — 393 

CHAPTER  XXII.— Buffalo  Bill's  Duel  with  Yellow  Hand— "The 

First  Scalp  for  Custer,"  *  393 — 393 


CONTENTS.  17 

CHAPTER  XXIII.— Scouting  on  a  Steamboat— The  Bad  Lands- 
Marvelous  Ride  and  Narrow  Escape — Viewing  an  Indian 
Buffalo  Hunt  from  Ambush — A  Bridle  of  Indian  Scalps- 
Success  on  the  Stage — $48,000  Cleared  in  One  Season — A 
Shot  that  Beat  William  Tell's,  400—408 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— The  Author  visits  Buffalo  Bill— The  Famous 
Scout's  Home  and  Family — His  Great  Popularity  at  Home 
— Wonderful  Riding  and  Shooting — Buffalo  Bill's  Liberal- 
ity— A  Humorous  Incident  at  Church — An  Indian's  Con- 
tempt for  a  Watch — Other  Incidents  and  Anecdotes,  408 — 416 

LIFE  OF  CALIFORNIA  JOE. 

CHAPTER!.— Who  was  California  Joe?— The  Mystery  that  En- 
shrouded him — The  Indian  Massacre — Captured  and  Con- 
demned to  the  Stake — Rescued  by  a  Party  of  Trappers 
after  the  Fire  is  Kindled,  -  -  419 — 435 

CHAPTER  II.— A  Romance  of  Love— Capt.  Jack's  Poem— Joe 

Rescues  Hazel  Eye,  -  425 — 436 

CHAPTER  III. — Service  as  Scout  During  the  War — Scouting  on 
the  Plains — Gen.  Custer's  Description  of  California  Joe — 
"An  Ambulance  Man  er  a  Hoss  Man" — Silent  Jack  Corbin 
— Joe  and  Jack's  Ride — A  Bear  Hunt — Ambushing  the 
Indiars — "  Boys,  you  kin  hev  the  Fixtures,  but  the  Scalps 
are  Mine,"  ...  -  _  436 — 444 

CHAPTER  IV.— Joe's  Terrific  Combat  with  a  Mexican  Couger— 
California  Joe  and  Jack  Corbin  in  the  Black  Hills — Joe 
Saves  his  Friend's  Life — "  Ugh !  White  Man!  "  -  444 — 453 

CHAPTER  V.— Joe's  Weakness— Must  have  "Pie"— His  practical 
joke  on  the  Big  Soldier — "The  Grave  of  Poor  Amos 
Billings  " — Incidents  and  Anecdotes — Murder  of  California 
Joe,  -  -  -  453— 457 

LIFE  OF  KIT  CARSON. 

CHAPTER  I. — Personal  Characteristics— Uncertainty  of  Kit's 
Birth  Place — Early  Days  in  Missouri — Expedition  to  Santa 
Fe — Becomes  a  Mexican  Horse  Tamer — Engages  in  Trap- 
ping— Trip  to  California— Pursuit  of  Digger  Indians — 
Charging  through  their  Camp  in  the  Darkness— Kit  kills  a 
Mexican — Fights  with  Indians,  -  459 — 469 

CHAPTER  II.— Hunting  and  Trapping  in  Colorado— Kit  pursues 
an  Indian  Horse  Thief— Overtakes  and  Kills  him — Treed  by 
a  Grizzly  Bear — Trailing  Indians  in  the  Snow — A  Council 


18  CONTENTS. 

that  Ended  in  a  Fight — Kit  Carson  is  badly  Wounded  in  an 
Effort  to  Save  a  Comrade — Carson's  Duel  with  the  Arro- 
gant Frenchman,  -  -  469—478 

CHAPTER  III. — Expedition  into  the  Blackfeet  Country — Threaten- 
ed with  Starvation — Combats  with  the  Blackfeet — Carson 
Saves  a  Fallen  Comrade — Trapping  on  the  Great  Salt 
Lake — Terrible  Fight  with  a  Mexican  Lion— Kit  Carson's 
Indian  Wife — Her  Death  and  Kit's  visit  to  St.  Louis — 
Serves  as  Scout  in  the  Fremont  Expedition — Graphic  De- 
scription of  a  Buffalo  Hunt — Carson's  Narrow  Escape  from 
a  Wounded  Buffalo,  -  479 — 499 

CHAPTER  IV.— The  Second  Fremont  Expedition— Exploring  the 

Great  Salt  Lake — Terrible  Hardships  and  Sufferings,  490—493 

CHAPTER  V.— Carson's  Service  in  the  Mexican  War— Saves  a 
Party  of  Americans  from  Annihilation — Close  of  the  Mexi- 
can War — Carson's  Home  in  New  Mexico — Commissioned 
Brigadier  General — Death  of  Kit  Carson,  -  -  493 — 497 


LIFE  OF  CAPT.  D.  L.  PAYNE. 

CHAPTER  L— Early  Life— Goes  West  to  Fight  the  Mormons- 
Unprofitable  Speculation  in  a  Saw  Mill — Hunting  on  the 
Plains  of  Kansas — Payne's  intimacy  with  Kit  Carson,  Wild 
Bill,  Buffalo  Bill,  California  Joe,  and  other  Noted  Plains- 
men— Service  in  the  Cival  War — The  Pompous  Dutch  In- 
specting Officer — Payne  as  a  Sailor — The  Joke  he  played  on 
a  couple  of  Starchy  Officers — A  Gallant  Adventure  at  the 
Battle  of  Prairie  Grove,  -  -  498 — 507 

CHAPTER  II.— Close  of  the  War— Scouting  on  the  Plains— Capt- 
ure of  Three  White  Ladies  by  Indians — The  Pursuit  and  Re- 
capture— Terrible  Sufferings  during  the  Expedition — Ten 
•  Cheyenne  Chiefs  in  a  Close  Place — Payne  and  the  Lively 
Mule — Surrounded  and  Hemmed  In — Saved  by  Daring  and 
Skill — Capt.  Payne's  Election  to  the  Kansas  Legislature — 
The  Oklahoma  Movement — Payne's  Arrest  and  Trial — Per- 
sonal Characteristics,  ...  507 — jjjj 

LIFE  OF  WHITE  BEAVER. 

CHAPTER  I.— Character  of  the  Hero— His  Indian  Mother— Early 
Life — His  Inherited  and  Acquired  Knowledge  of  Medicine 
— Death  of  Mrs.  Powell — First  Adventures  on  the  Plains — 
"  Follow  Me  Who  Will."  -  534—$^ 

CHAPTER  II.— A  Fierce  Fight  With  Twenty  Sioux— Sends  Him- 
self to  the  Louisville  Medical  College —  A  Pistol  Duel  in  a 


CONTENTS.  ID 

Ghostly  Dissecting-room — Return  to  the  Plains — Buffalo  Bill's 
Story  of  Powell's  Noble  Nature — How  He  Saved  Chief  "  Rocky 
Bear's"  Daughter— Bestowal  of  the  Name  "White  Beaver" 
Upon  Him  by  Rocky  Bear,  542 — 550 

CHAPTER  III.— To  the  Rescue  of  An  Unfortunate  Girl— His  Duel 
With  the  Royall  Brothers— Joins  a  Band  of  "  Cut  Off"  Sioux- 
Dreadful  Fight  With  Arrapahoe  Indians — Desperately  Wound- 
ed With  a  Lance — Saved  by  Rocky  Bear,  550 — 550 

CHAPTER  IV.— Terrible  Sight  In  Massacre  Canon— Discovery  of 
the  Cheyenne  Camp — White  Beaver  Heads  the  Charge — A 
Terrible  Alternative— "The  Chief  Must  Be  Cured  or  White 
Beaver  Shall  Die" — He  Cures  the  Chief,  and  is  Made  Medicine 
Man  of  the  Nation — Removal  to  Lanesboro — Desperate  Fight 
With  a  Norwegian — Encounter  With  a  Member  of  Crazy 
Horse's  Band — How  He  Killed  the  Indian,  -  555 — 565 

CHAPTER  V.— Marriage  of  White  Beaver— His  Estimable  Wife 
and  Her  Influence — He  Joins  Buffalo  Bill's  Combination — 
White  Beaver  Suppresses  an  Indian  War  Dance  in  Chicago — 
And  Cracks  "  Long  Trailer's"  Skull  —  His  Removal  to 
LaCrosse,  Wis. — Established  as  Proprietor  of  a  Surgical  Insti- 
tute— His  Extraordinary  Success  and  Practice  in  Surgery — 
Besought  by  Numerous  Indian  Tribes  to  Return  and  be  Their 
Medicine  Chief— His  Skill  as  a  Rifle  and  Pistol  Shot,  -  565—571 

SITTING  BULL'S  STORY  OF  THE  CUSTER 
MASSACRE. 

CHAPTER  I.— Sitting  Bull's  Taciturnity— The  Author's  Visit  to  the 
Great  Warrior — A  Cordial  Reception — Sitting  Bull  not  a  Chief 
But  a  Prophet — A  Brief  History  of  His  Career — Attending  an 
Indian  Funeral — Back  into  Camp  With  Sitting  Bull — The 
Author's  Interview  with  the  Distinguished  Chief — Graphic 
History  of  a  Painful  Memory — How  the  Last  Survivor  Died — 
A  Story  that  Melts  the  Heart  With  Pity — Identification  of  a 
Skeleton  by  Teeth  With  Gold  Fillings,  -  -  572—588 

CHAPTER  II. — STORY  OF  LAKOTAH,  THE  SQUAW-WARRIOR, 
WHO  FOUGHT  AGAINST  CUSTER — Lakotah,  the  Wife  of  Chief 
Spotted  Horn  Bull— Her  Fierce  Fight  with  Chief  Gall— The 
Author's  Introduction  to  Lakotah — Her  Willingness  to  Tell  the 
Story  of  Custer's  Defeat — Explaining  the  Battle  by  Means  of  a 
Diagram — Reno's  First  Attack — An  Inexcusable  Retreat — 
First  Appearance  of  Custer  on  the  Scene — Caught  in  an 
Ambush— A  Storm  of  Death— Not  a  Soldier  Left— What  Shall 
the  Heroes'  Portion  Be?  588 — 599. 

SKETCH  OF  CAPT.  JACK,  THE  POET  SCOUT,  6oc>— 606 

SKETCH  OF  TEXAS  JACK,  (J.  B.  Omohundro),  -  607—61:2 


J.    B.    HICKOK, 
(Wild  Bill) 


HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 


LIFE  OF  WILD  BILL 

(J.  B.  HICKOK.) 


CHAPTER  I. 

IT  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  nearly  all  our  sturdy  f  ron- 
characters  are  natives  of  the  West ;  there  is,  appar- 
ently, something  in  the  atmosphere,  in  the  wild  winds 
which  freight  the  air  with  primeval  perfume  ;  an  unde- 
fined elemental  principle  which  inoculates  Western  chil- 
dren yrith  a  desire  for  adventure.  Our  hero,  of  course, 
beloDg-3  to  that  longitudinal  nativity  where  the  prairies 
bathe  their  feet  at  the  margins  of  eastern  forests,  and 
then  roll  away  to  the  Occident,  resting  at  that  great  ridge 
which  rinses  ruggedly  into  the  vertebrae  of  a  continent. 

JAMES  BUTLER  HICKOK,  known  to  history  only  as  ' '  Wild 
Bill,"  was  born  in  La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  near  the 
country  village  of  Troy  Grove,  on  the  27th  of  May, 
1837.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of  Vermont,  from 
which  State  they  removed,  directly  after  marriage,  to 
New  York.  After  following  farming  for  some  time  in 
the  Empire  State,  and  meeting  with  indifferent  success, 
in  1834  the  family,  now  consisting  of  the  parents  and 
two  children,  packed  up  their  few  possessions  and  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  going  overland  in  a  "  mover's  wagon," 
as  was  the  customary  mode  of  traveling  in  that  early 
period.  A  place  for  settlement  was  chosen  in  Putnam 
county,  but  two  years  afterward  a  more  desirable  location 
was  found  in  La  Salle  county,  the  homestead  then  selected 

21 


22 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


and  entered   proving  so  satisfactory  that  it  is  still  occur 
pied  by  two  survivors  of  the  family. 

The  house  in  which  Wild  Bill  was  born  was  built  in 
1836  and  stood,  fronting  east,  upon  a  prairie  one-half 
mile  from  the  timber  skirting  little  Yermillion  creek. 
The  house  is  still  standing,  and  occupied,  but  the  progress 
of  rapid  settlement  in  Illinois  has  reared  the  village  of 
Homer  about  the  pioneer's  home,  and  the  birth-place  of 
our  hero  is  now  situated  in  the  southeast  corner  of  block 


Wild  Bill's  Birth  Place. 

number  thirteen  of  that  town.  The  cut  of  the  house  as 
here  produced,  was  made  from  a  drawing  executed  by  H. 
D.  Hickok,  in  March  of  the  present  year,  and  therefore 
illustrates  the  place  of  to-day,  though  there  have  been  n« 
material  alterations  made  in  the  building  since  its  first 
erection. 

The  family  consisted  of  six  children,  four  boys  and 
two  girls,  whose  names  and  ages  are  as  follows :  O.  C. 
Hickok,  was  born  in  New  York  in  1830  :  he  is  now  a  resi- 


LITE   OF   WILD    BILL.  23 

dent  of  California,  and  is  the  trainer  and  part  owner  of 
St.  Julian,  the  greatest  horse,  perhaps,  now  on  the  turf. 
Lorenzo  B.  was  born,  also  in  New  York,  in  1832  ;  Horace 
D.  is  a  native  of  Putnam  count j,  Illinois,  having  been 
born  there  in  1834  ;  James  B.,  Celinda  D.,  and  Lydia  M. 
were  born  at  tne  old  homestead  near  Troy  Grove. 
Celinda,  born  in  1839,  married  a  gentleman  by  the  name 
of  Dewey,  and  is  still  living  in  La  Salle  county,  while 
Lydia,  being  two  years  younger,  married  a  farmer  named 
Barnes  and  is  living  in  Decatur  county,  Kansas.  Lorenzo 
arid  Horace  are  still  living  on  the  old  homestead.  The 
father  died  in  1852,  and  the  mother  in  1878  after  reach- 
ing the  venerable  age  of  seventy-four  years.  All  the 
children  are  living  with  the  exception  of  James  (Wild 
Bill)  whose  marvelous  career  and  tragic  death  will  be 
found  fully  recorded  in  the  subsequent  pages,  constitut- 
ing a  leaf  in  history  a  parallel  to  which  can  be  found 
neither  in  the  annals  of  fact  nor  romance. 

James,  it  is  said,  was  peculiar  in  his  ways  even  in  child- 
hood. His  earliest  desire  was  for  fire-arms,  and  by  bar- 
tering a  number  of  childish  trinkets,  at  the  age  of  eight 
years  he  became  possessed  of  the  greatest  treasure  his 
youthful  fancy  had  ever  pictured — a  little  single-barreled 
pistol.  In  his  eyes  this  weapon,  though  a  flint-lock  and 
of  imperfect  make,  represented  the  sum  total  of  earthly 
wealth  ;  he  would  not  have  exchanged  it  for  all  the  gold 
of  the  richest  Peruvian  Inca,  and  if  staked  against  his 
soul  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  would  have  taken  great 
risk  of  losing  that  before  parting  with  his  almost  price- 
less treasure.  By  dint  of  cunning  exchange  and  bar- 
ter the  youthful  sportsman  procured  powder,  and  when 
lead  was  difficult  to  obtain  he  used  pebbles,  and  thus 
accoutered  all  his  leisure  hours  were  spent  in  marksman- 
ship, in  which,  despite  the  primitiye  character  of  his  "out- 


24  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

fit,"  he  occasionally  killed  a  cat,  wounded  a  pig,  winged 
a  chicken,  or  stung  a  coyote.  These  foibles  sometimes 
brought  a  prominent  admonition  of  Solomon  into  active 
operation,  at  great  expense  to  his  youthful  posterior  ;  but 
if  these  corrections  made  the  embryo  hunter's  sitting  posi- 
tion difficult  they  apprised  him,  at  the  same  time,  of  the 
more  comfortable  employment  of  walking,  and  this  was 
sure  to  lead  him  again  into  the  commission  of  other  acts 
equally  indefensible  in  the  eyes  of  his  parents. 

At  about  the  age  of  fourteen  James  secured  an  excel- 
lent pistol  and  shortly  afterward,  by  the  assistance  of  his 
father,  he  purchased  a  rifle,  and  thus  armed  he  remained 
in  the  woods  almost  constantly.  At  this  period  the  few 
settlers  were  greatly  annoyed  by  the  ravages  of  wolves, 
so  much  in  fact  that  the  State  offered  premiums  for  the 
scalps  of  these  destructive  animals.  This  furnished  a 
remunerative  occupation  for  James  who,  every  evening, 
returned  home  with  a  belt  full  of  bloody  prizes  which 
brought  him  no  small  revenue  at  the  end  of  every  mouth 
when  the  scalps  were  carried  to  the  county  clerk,  as  the 
law  provided. 

His  opportunities  for  schooling  were  entirely  consistent 
with  his  other  advantages ;  country  schools  had  occa- 
sional sessions  in  his  district,  but  a  regular  attendance 
was  prevented,  both  by  the  great  distance  of  the  school- 
house  and  the  irregularity,  or  rather  infrequencj,  of  the 
sessions.  However,  he  managed  to  acquire  a  rudimental 
education.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  chance  threw  in  his  way 
acopyof  Peters'  "Lifeof  Kit  Carson,"  and  "The  Trap- 
per's Guide,"  two  books  which  he  read  with  the  greatest 
interest.  The  former  made  such  an  impression  upon  him 
that  he  declared  to  his  brothers  that  he  would  4 '  one  day 
beat  anything  Kit  Carson  ever  did  or  attempted." 

Two  years  after  familiarizing  himself  with  Carson's  ex- 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  25 

ploits,  James  obtained  employment  as  a  tow-path  driver 
for  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  canal.  Soon  after  engaging 
in  this  occupation  he  had  a  difficulty  with  a  driver  named 
Charles  Hudson,  which  resulted  in  a  fistic  contest  lasting 
more  than  an  hour.  The  two  began  the  fight  on  the  tow 
path,  but  gradually  rolling  towards  the  canal  they  both 
finally  tumbled  into  the  water,  and  then  it  changed  from 
blows  into  an  effort  each  to  drown  the  other.  Hudson 
was  a  large  man,  whose  physical  abilities  were  far  super- 
ior to  James',  but  the  latter' s  cat-like  agility  fully  com 
pensated  for  his  deficiency  in  strength  ;  in  addition  to  a 
remarkable  activity  his  endurance  was  another  point  of 
superior  excellence,  and  through  these  he  at  length 
gained  such  a  decided  victory  that  Hudson  was  taken  out 
of  the  canal  in  a  lifeless  condition,  but  by  dexterous 
manipulation  he  was  resuscitated.  This  ended  James* 
canal  experience,  and  he  returned  home. 

Thus  passed  the  youth  of  Wild  Bill,  but  who  can  tell 
his  longing  far  wider  fields  of  adventure,  his  craving  for 
escapades  in  which  danger  becomes  the  source  of  pleas- 
ure ?  When  he  reached  the  period  of  responsible  man- 
hood, eighteen  years,  though  the  avenues  of  communica- 
tion were  few  and  narrow,  yet  there  was  brought  to  his 
ears  stories  of  the  incipient  struggles  between  Missouri 
and  Kansas.  As  the  strife  grew  fiercer  in  aspect  James 
decided  to  seek  the  arena  of  conflict ;  he  may  have 
grasped  the  ideas  which  actuated  the  Kansas  settlers  in 
repelling  all  efforts  to  make  their  State  a  territory  privi- 
leging slavery,  but  the  elements  of  his  nature  rather  in- 
cite a  belief  that  he  was  moved  alone  by  the  knowledge 
that  Kansas  soil  was  vegetating  bloody  broils,  and  that 
the  great  need  of  that  section  was  heroes. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  our  thirsting  adventurer,  collect- 
ing together  what  money  he  could  command,  bade  adiei 


26  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

to  his  old  home,  which  nestled  tamely  in  the  wilderness 
of  prairies,  and  set  out  on  foot  for  St.  Louis,  which  citj 
he  reached  after  many  days  of  painful  traveling.  The 
world  was  almost  a?  strange  to  him  as  one  of  the  planets, 
for  his  intercourss  uad  been  confined  to  such  a  limited 
stretch  of  changeless  country,  that  beyond  the  village 
store  his  vision  had  never  wandered  over  the  scenes 
of  business  Me.  St.  Louis  was  to  him  a  painted  pano- 
rama, as  mysterious  as  the  labyrinths  of  the  pyra- 
mids ;  the  steamboats  were  novelties  like  the  palaces  of 
necromancers,  and  this  new  life  to  him  had  such  a  strange 
aspect  that  it  was  very  like  a  second  birth.  The  river 
business  was,  at  that  time,  very  large,  and  the  Missouri 
was  crowded  with  steamers  plying  between  St.  Louis  and 
Omaha.  After  much  deliberation  James  engaged  pas- 
sage on  the  steamer  Imperial  for  Leavenworth,  a  small 
acquaintance  with  city  life  having  infused  a  new  longing 
for  adventure  and  stimulated  him  for  greater  concerns. 
After  a  tedious  voyage  the  boat  reached  Leavenworth,  but 
at  the  landing  met  with  a  reception  least  expected.  Ex- 
citement had  seized  upon  everyone  and  the  determination 
of  the  people  seemed  to  be  the  disorganization  of  society 
and  the  formation  of  a  universal  mob. 

James,  an  unsophisticated  country  lad,  but  withal  pos- 
sessed of  a  mother  acuteness  which  led  him  to  carefully  con- 
sider the  best  means  for  his  own  security,  carefully  noted 
the  excited  throng  which,  without  the  least  show  of  reason^ 
except  exaggerated  suspicion,  forbade  any  of  the  passengers 
coming  on  shore .  The  town  of  Leavenworth  being  his  des- 
tination, however,  James  determined  to  leave  the  boat,  and 
to  do  this  he  resorted  to  a  cunning  expedient.  Tying  a 
large  bandana  kerchief  about  his  neck,  with  his  pants 
stuffed  carelessly  into  his  boot-legs,  and  being  a  deckpas^ 
:senger,  he  readily  assumed  the  labor  of  a  roustabout  and 


LIFE  OF  WILD  BILL. 


27 


began  to  carry  off  freight.  While  in  this  occupation  he 
had  no  difficulty  in  slipping  away  through  the  crowd  and 
gaining  the  center  of  the  town,  where  he  at  once  cast 
about  for  means  of  employment. 


Disembarking  in  a  Kansas  Mob. 


28  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

Jim  Lane,  who  had  recently  come  from  Indiana  with  a 
body  of  two  hundred  men,  was  then  the  recognized  leader 
of  what  was  known  as  the  "  Red  Legs,"  or  anti-slavery 
forces  in  Kansas,  and  at  this  time  had  his  headquarters 
in  Leaven  worth.  His  band  consisted  of  a  little  more 
than  three  hundred  men,  armed  with  such  weapons  as 
their  individual  means  afforded.  James  gravitated  natu- 
rally towards  Lane,  and  within  a  week  after  his  arrival 
in  Leavenworth  he  had  joined  his  fortunes  with  those 
who  were  under  that  leader's  generalship.  A  few  days 
after  his  enlistment  the  regiment  was  called  out  on  the 
commons  west  of  town  for  drill  and  rifle  practice.  The 
range  was  one  hundred  yards,  and  the  guns  used  were 
common  squirrel  rifles.  In  the  contest  of  marksmanship 
James  easily  beat  every  other  man  in  the  command,  and 
Indeed  made  such  excellent  scores  that  Lane  personally  com- 
plimented his  accuracy  in  the  most  flattering  words .  While 
this  little  ceremony  was  being  conducted,  a  crow  chanced 
to  fly  overhead,  and,  greatly  elated  at  the  distinction  be- 
ing shown  him,  James  drew  a  pistol  from  his  pocket  and 
shot  the  bird,  then  carelessly  replaced  his  weapon  with- 
out remark  as  to  the  excellence  of  the  shot.  The  crowd 
of  men,  however,  set  up  a  wild  cheering,  and  for  several 
minutes  the  confusion  was  so  great  that  Lane  could  not 
make  himself  heard.  When  the  noise  had  somewhat 
abated  he  renewed  his  flattering  compliments,  and  putting 
a  hand  on  James'  shoulder,  he  said  to  his  band :  "  This 
man,  my  newest  recruit,  will  one  day  excite  the  wonder 
and  admiration  of  America,  and  I  shall  watch  his  course 
with  the  greatest  interest  and  solicitude."  After  this 
little  incident  the  regiment  gave  James  the  title  of 
"  Shanghai  Bill,"  a  name  which  clung  to  him  until  after 
his  great  fight  at  Rock  Creek,  nearly  five  years  after- 
wards. I  can  readily  conceive  the  origin  of  the  appella- 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  29 

tlon  of  "  Shanghai,"  because  James  was,  at  this  time,  no 
less  than  six  feet  in  height  and  uncommonly  slim,  though 
very  lithe  and  willowy,  but  how  he  came  to  be  called 
"Bill,"  instead  of  "Jim,"  I  have  been  unable  to  discover. 
His  most  intimate  acquaintances  are  at  a  loss  for  the  rea- 
son, and  his  diary  makes  no  mention  of  anything  except 
the  time  and  circumstances  under  which  the  "  title"  was 
bestowed. 

"Bill,"  as  I  shall  hereafter  very  properly  call  him, 
served  with  Lane  for  nearly  two  years,  through  the  most 
trying  days  when  Kansas  was  building  a  wall  on  her  east- 
ern border  out  of  the  blood  and  bodies  of  her  noblest 
sons,  to  keep  out  Slavery.  He  fought  only  as  a  brave 
and  excellent  soldier,  always  recognized  by  Lane  as  the 
most  effective  man  in  the  command.  In  the  early  part 
of  1857  Bill  entered  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  the  finest  land  in  Monticello  township,  Johnson 
county,  Kansas,  and  though  he  was  not  yet  of  age,  his 
reputation  was  such  that  almost  immediately  after  set- 
tling in  that  section  he  was  elected  constable. 

But  he  was  not  permitted  to  live  in  peace  in  his  new 
home.  The  "Border  Euffians  "  of  Missouri,  who  had 
suffered  defeat,  held  a  special  grudge  against  Bill  and  ia 
their  predatory  incursions  on  Kansas  soil  they  visited 
Monticello  township  and  during  the  absence  of  their  enemy 
they  burned  his  cabin.  Being  unable  to  revenge  this  out>- 
rage  because  of  the  secret  identity  of  the  men  who  did  it, 
Bill  went  to  work  again  and  soon  had  another  comfortable 
house  erected  on  his  premises.  His  duties  as  constable 
called  him  from  home  so  frequently,  however,  that  the 
marauders  had  no  difficulty  in  a  second  time  applying  the 
torch  and  laying  the  new  house  in  ashes. 

The  insecurity  of  his  possessions  admonished  Bill  that 
fcw  labors  would  never  avail  him,  as  a  farmer  in  Johnson 


30  HEBOES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

county,  and  before  the  year  expired  lie  abandoned  his 
claim  and  accepted  a  position  as  driver  for  the  Overland 
Stage  Company.  In  this  capacity  he  crossed  the  plains 
several  times,  driving  from  St.  Joseph,  Denver,  and 
points  in  Kansas,  Colorado  and  Nebraska,  to  Santa  Fe, 
New  Mexico,  and  Salt  Lake  City.  As  a  driver  he  was 
apparently  reckless  and  yet  no  man  ever  got  through  his 
route  so  frequently  with  as  few  accidents.  Coming  into 
his  destination  Bill  usually  treated  his  passengers  to  "  a 
shaking  up,"  as  he  called  it,  "  in  order  to  jolt  the  crick* 
out  of  their  joints."  The  last  stretch  of  road  entering 
Santa  Fe  was  a  slight  decline  and  over  this  Bill  almost  in- 
variably turned  the  horses  loose  and  gave  them  the  lash. 
The  big  Concord  coach  would  bound  along  like  a  wounded 
monster,  lurching  the  passengers  from  side  to  side,  dish- 
ing up  dyspeptics,  phlegmatics  and  rollicking  disposition* 
indiscriminately,  and  bowling  into  the  town  finally  the 
centre  of  a  dust  bank  and  the  object  of  excited  interest 
to  everyone  in  the  ancient  Mexican  city. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THB  Orerland  Stage  Company,  like  the  great  freight* 
ers,  Majors*  Russell  &  Waddell,  had  its  routes  over  the 
entire  West.  It  was  a  very  easy  matter  at  that  time,  and 
in  that  peculiar  civilization,  for  a  man,  so  disposed,  to 
make  a  record.  In  fact,  it  was  more  difficult  for  him 
not  to  make  one,  for  he  was  soon  put  down  as  either  an 
arrant  coward  or  a  man  of  nerve.  Every  station  was 
located  by  a  saloon  and  every  stage  employe  wart  practi- 
cally an  animated,  skin-full  of  fighting  whisky.  Desper- 
ate rows  were  as  common  as  wax-weed  flowers  on 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL. 


31 


32  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

prairie  in  spring-time,  anu  the  man  who  had  failed  to 
snuff  out  a  life  was  like  a  bashful  fellow  at  a  country 
dance — wofully  out  of  place.  But  Shanghai  Bill's  record 
was  recognized  in  the  bud,  for  his  physical  ability  had 
been  demonstrated  in  many  social  encounters,  and  while 
he  had  gone  through  the  ordeal  of  more  than  a  score  of 
fights  his  master  had  not  yet  been  found.  Being  also 
acknowledged  as  the  best  shot  on  the  plains  and  fortified 
with  a  wonderful  self-possession  under  trying  circum- 
stances, full  of  cunning,  strategy  and  pluck,  he  was 
already  a  hero  by  general  consent  of  all  who  knew  him. 
In  the  fall  of  1858  the  Indians  broke  out  of  their  res- 
ervation on  the  Sweetwater  and  began  their  depredations 
to  the  serious  injury  of  the  stage  company.  Several  set- 
tlers had  been  massacred,  two  pony  express  riders  killed, 
and,  being  emboldened  by  their  success,  they  at  length 
attacked  a  stage  coach  near  the  three  crossings  on  Sweetr 
water  creek.  In  this  encounter  the  driver  and  three 
passengers  were  killed  and  the  assistant  division  agent 
escaped  with  a  serious  wound.  In  addition  to  this  out- 
rage the  Indians  stole  a  large  number  of  horses  belonging 
to  the  stage  company  and  rendered  its  business  so  ex- 
tremely hazardous  that  for  nearly  two  months  the  express 
and  stage  were  suspended  on  that  division.  The  com- 
pany, being  thus  enjoined  from  operations,  and  appreci- 
ating the  necessity  of  some  decisive  action,  sent  for  Bill. 
He  promptly  responded  and  meeting  the  officers  jit  St. 
Joseph  they  went  into  council  to  consider  the  best  means 
of  proceeding  against  the  Indians.  Bill  was  the  first  to 
offer  a  proposition  looking  to  a  solution  of  the  troubles. 
Said  he  :  "  You  have  got  enough  men  here,  if  they  are 
turned  loose  right,  to  clean  out  all  the  Red  Devils  along 
the  route,  and  all  the  men  now  idle  would  consider  it  a 
frolic  to  go  into  the  Indian  service  for  a  short  time." 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  33 

He  was  requested  to  perfect  his  plans  and  given  full 
authority  to  conduct  the  proposed  operations  according 
to  his  own  wishes.  Bill  at  once  had  the  men  called  to- 
gether and  in  his  own  pithy  phrases  related  to  them  what 
was  wanted  ;  a  hearty  disposition  to  engage  in  the  expe- 
dition was  manifested  by  every  one,  and  on  the  following 
day  preparations  were  made  to  leave.  About  fifty  men 
enlisted,  all  of  whom  were  well  provided  with  the  best  of 
arms  and  good  horses  ;  before  starting  they  unanimously 
chose  Bill  as  their  leader,  promising  implicit  obedience 
to  his  orders. 

The  well  equipped  and  organized  body  set  out  on  the 
29th  day  of  September,  pointing  directly  for  the  Powder 
River.  When  they  reached  that  stream,  along  which 
they  expected  to  find  the  Indians  encamped,  they  saw 
nothing  but  an  indistinct  trail  leading  westwardly.  This 
the  company  followed  for  three  days,  finding  it  growing 
constantly  fresher,  when  suddenly  they  found,  upon 
reaching  Crazy  Woman's  Fork — a  small  stream  usually 
dry  during  summer  and  frozen  solid  in  winter — that  the 
Indians  whom  they  were  so  successfully  trailing,  had 
been  joined  by  another  party  in  war  paint  numbering  not 
less  than  one  hundred.  Here  was  a  dilemma  which 
caused  several  in  the  command  to  falter,  for  it  was  now 
evident  that  the  whole  band  of  Indians  comprised  fully 
two  hundred,  and  to  meet  with  such  an  overwhelming 
force  seemed  like  charging  the  guns  at  Balaklava.  %But 
Bill  gave  his  men  no  opportunity  to  talk  about  the  in- 
creasing danger  of  the  expedition,  for  he  proposed  to 
shoot  the  first  man  who  attempted  to  return.  This  bold 
threat  may  not  have  been  needed,  for  though  there  were 
some  expressions  concerning  the  judiciousness  of  follow- 
ing so  large  a  band  of  Indians,  yet  every  one  under  Bill 
was  full,  up  to  the  chin,  with  dare-devil  courage,  and 


34  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

they  could  be  depended  on  to  fight  a  ten-acre  field  full  of 
grizzly  bears  with  only  a  tooth-pick  for  a  weapon  if  they 
were  only  put  to  it. 

Finding  the  trail  decidedly  fresh,  the  party,  with  Bill 
always  in  the  lead,  proceeded  with  due  circumspection, 
gaining  the  high  knolls  cautiously,  and  sweeping  the  land^ 
scape  to  discover  if  the  enemy  were  in  view.  At  Clear 
Creek  the  crossing  was  apparently  made  but  two  or  three* 
hours  before,  and  almost  immediately  after  this  discov- 
ery, the  day  being  well  advanced,  Bill  commanded  a  halt, 
and  pointing  directly  north,  he  said :  "  Do  you  see  that 
fittle  blue  vapor  hanging  on  the  tree  tops?  Well,  that 
means  an  Indian  camp.  You  boys  just  stop  right  here 
and  I '11  locate  the  game."  So  saying  he  left  the  trail 
and  rode  like  he  was  making  to  the  windward  of  a  herd 
of  buffaloes,  taking  a  broad  circuit  in  order  to  reach  some 
high  ground  from  which  he  could  discover  the  exact 
strength  of  the  Indians,  how  their  camp  was  pitched, 
where  their  stock  was  stationed  and  whether  tethered  or 
eorraled.  All  this  information  was  soon  gathered  by 
Bill,  who  returned  and  ordered  his  men  to  rest  until  dark, 
get  themselves  in  good  readiness  and  be  prepared  for  a 
dashing  fight  after  night-fall. 

The  company  remained  in  camp,  without  fire,  until 
nearly  ten  o'clock,  getting  a  good  rest  and  permitting 
their  horses  to  recover  from  the  tiresome  march.  When 
Bill  called  his  men  to  the  saddle  each  one  responded  with 
alacrity.  His  instructions  then  were  for  each  man  to  fol- 
low him  into  the  Indian  camp  and  to  fight  only  with  the 
pistol ;  to  make  for  the  stock  which,  being  in  a  corral, 
would  be  easily  stampeded  and  run  out,  so  it  could  be 
collected  and  secured.  These  instructions  were  obeyed  to 
the  letter ;  the  party  rode  cautiously  toward  the  camp, 
which  being  found  unpicketed  was  easily  approached  > 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL. 


35 


and  then  a  dash  was  made  for  the  corral  by  twelve  of  the 
"while  the  others  rode  into  the  camp  and  as  the  half 


stupefied  Indians  came  out  of  their  tents,  not  realizing  what 
the  confusion  meant,  they  were  shot  down  until  the  at- 
tack became  a  slaughter.  The  surprise  was  complete; 


36  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

while  the  deadly  revolvers  in  the  hands  of  those  who  so 
well  knew  how  to  use  them,  did  fearful  execution.  All 
the  horses  were  secured  except  a  few  scrub  ponies,  and 
then  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  get  off,  for  there  was  noth« 
ing  left  on  which  the  Indians  could  make  pursuit. 

The  men  returned  with  all  the  horses  stolen  from 
the  stage  company,  together  with  more  than  a  hundred 
head  of  those  belonging  to  the  Indians.  After  getting 
back  to  St.  Joseph  the  brilliant  results  of  the  campaign 
superinduced  a  general  big  drunk  in  which  all  the  stage 
employes  participated,  and,  though  very  strange  to  assert, 
yet  none  the  less  true,  the  row  which  followed  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  resulted  in  the  killing  of  only  one  man,  a 
stage  driver,  by  Alf .  Slade,  one  of  the  company  bosses. 

Severing  his  connectin  with  the  Overland  Stage  Co., 
in  1859,  Bill  engaged  with  the  great  freighters,  Majors 
&  Russels,  to  drive  between  Independence,  Mo.,  and 
Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico.  It  was  while  thus  employed  that 
he  met  with  a  unique  adventure  which  cost  him  ver^ 
dearly  but  taught  him  a  very  useful  lesson.  Matt  Farley 
was  his  companion  on  one  occasion  during  this  long  over-* 
land  trip,  and  but  for  him  the  name  of  Wild  Bill  would 
never  have  been  heard.  While  passing  through  tho 
Soccoro  range  with  his  team  two  miles  ahead  of  Farley, 
Bill  discovered  a  large  cinnamon  bear  with  her  two  cubs 
directly  in  the  road  ahead  of  him.  The  bear,  instead  of 
manifesting  any  fear  at  Bill's  approach,  but  moved  en- 
tirely by  her  maternal  instincts,  boldly  disputed  his  pas- 
sage, and  with  further  advance  of  the  team  she  growl edf 
fiercely  and  showed  her  intention  to  attack  him.  Bill  be- 
ing provided  with  two  excellent  pistols  and  a  large  bowie- 
knife  gave  himself  no  concern  for  the  result  of  the  en- 
counter, thinking  it  an  easy  matter  to  kill  the  bear — 8 
presumption  in  which  he  was  most  seriously  mistaken- 


LIFE   OP   WILD    BILL.  3? 

When  the  bear  approached  within  twenty  feet  of  him  he 
fired  one  of  his  pistols,  the  ball  striking  her  squarely  in 
the  forehead,  but  the  accurate  aim  instead  of  proving 
fatal  had  no  other  effect  than  to  put  the  beast  in  a  more 
desperate  rage,  for  the  cinnamon,  like  thegrizzley,  has  a 
brain  protection  so  thick  that  the  ball  from  an  ordinary 
rifle  will  produce  no  impression  on  it.      In  fact,  many 
experienced  hunters  claim   that  the  cinnamon  is   much 
more  dangerous  than  the  grizzley,  because  of  its  greater 
activity  and  equal  vitality.     Bill  at  once  discovered,  from 
the  bad  result  of  his  first  shot,  that  he  had  an  antagonist 
bent  on  a  mission  which  might  well  afford  serious  appre- 
hensions.     His  first  feeling  of   security  prevented  him 
from  taking  safety  on  the  top  of  his  wagon  and  now  he 
was  cut  off  from  that  means  of  escape.     In  fact  he  had 
no  time  to  think  of  retreat  after  the  first  shot  was  dis- 
charged, for  the  bear  was   fairly  on   him   in   the   next 
instant ;  he  discharged  his  second  pistol  and  succeeded  in 
Injuring  the  animal's  left  foreleg,  as  he  intended,  but  as 
he  jerked  his  long  knife  the  bear  reared  on  her  hind  legs 
and  grappled  him.     The  struggle  which  now  ensued  was 
one  of  the  most  desperate  ever  known.     Bill  buried  the 
knife  rapidly  in  various  parts  of  the  bear's  body  and  cut 
her  throat,  but  while  doing  this  his  shoulder  was  torn 
dreadfully,  his   left  arm    crushed    from  the  elbow,  his 
breast  furrowed  by  the  long,  poniard-like  claws,  and  his 
left  cheek  was  split  open.      But  he  never  regarded  his 
terrible  wounds,  standing  up  in  the  agonizing  embrace  of 
the  infuriated   animal   until   the  ground  on  which  they 
fought  was  saturated    with  blood.      Bill  finally  slipped 
and  fell,  the   bear  falling  squarely  on  top  of   him  and 
holding  his  left  arm  in  her  mouth.     This  fall,  was,  how- 
ever, a  most  fortunate  circumstance,  for  the  position  was 
easily  reversed  and  Bill  could  use  his  knife  with  greater 


38  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

effect ;  while,  in  a  standing  position,  although  injured  in 
one  of  her  forelegs,  yet  the  bear  could  with  this  member 
seriously  interfere  with  the  execution  of  Bill's  single 
free  hand.  Before  the  fight  was  concluded  he  had 
literally  disembowled  the  dangerous  animal  and  her  feet 
became  so  tangled  in  her  intestines  that  she  thus  assisted 
in  her  own  quick  destruction. 

The  combat  lasted  nearly  half  an  hour  and  at  its  close 
it  was  difficult  to  decide  which  presented  the  more  horri- 
fying spectacle,  Bill  or  his  dead  antagonist ;  they  were 
both  saturated  with  blood  and  their  flesh  was  in  shreds 
m  several  places.  However,  Bill  survived,  but  when  his 
companion,  Farley,  came  up  he  was  barely  able  to  point 
to  the  dead  bear  and  his  own  desperate  lacerations.  Bill 
was  hauled  to  Santa  Fe  and  there  placed  under  the  charge 
of  Dr.  Sam  Jones,  an  excellent  frontier  surgeon,  who,  by 
good  attention,  was  able  to  so  far  restore  his  patient  in 
two  months'  time  as  to  permit  Bill's  return  to  Indepen- 
dence. But  it  was  not  until  several  months  after  his  dis- 
charge from  the  surgeon's  care  that  Bill  was  able  to  re- 
sume work  again,  and  the  scars  from  the  wounds  rv&. 
oeived  in  that  encounter  he  bore  to  his  grave. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1860,  Bill  left  the  employment  ol 
Majors  &  Russel  to  accept  a  position  tendered  him  by  the 
Overland  Stage  Co.  as  watchman  and  hostler  at  Rock 
Creek  Station,  a  point  on  the  Old  Platte  route  fifty  miles 
west  of  Topeka.  The  stage  company,  which  ran  its 
coaches  between  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  and  Denver,  had  estab- 
lished Rock  Creek  as  a  relay  post  and  had  built  stables 
for  the  accommodation  of  about  twenty-five  horses,  which 
number  was  almost  always  found  there.  Bill  had  a  com- 
panion with  him  known  as  Doc .  Mills ,  a  small  Irishman ,  who 
did  the  cooking  and  assisted  in  the  care  of  the  horses,  in 
fact  performing  a  greater  part  of  the  menial  duties,  as 


LIFE  OF  WILD   BILL.  41 

Bill  was  employed,  chiefly,  to  guard  the  stock,  owing  to 
the  depredations  of  horsethieves  who  were  very  numerous 
in  that  section.  The  two  occupied  a  small  log  hut,  hav- 
ing but  one  room,  which  was  divided,  however,  by  the 
suspension  of  an  old  horse-blanket,  back  of  which  was 
their  bed.  The  roof  of  the  hut  was  thatched,  and  being 
built  on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill  it  was  easy  to  walk  from 
the  hill  directly  on  to  the  roof.  It  was  what  is  univer- 
sally called  in  the  far  West  a  "  dug-out,' *  there  being' 
but  one  entrance,  in  the  front,  and  not  a  single  window. 
To  the  right  of  the  "  dug-out"  were  the  stables,  built  of 
heavy  logs  and  so  secure  that  when  the  big  puncheon 
doors  were  locked  it  would  require  the  services  of  a  pro- 
fessional safe-cracker  to  effect  a  violent  entrance.  It 
was  here  that  Bill  and  his  chum  spent  the  autumn  days, 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  dreariest  solitude  between  Mis- 
souri and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  But  even  away  up  in 
this  wild  place  the  news  of  an  approaching  struggle  be- 
tween the  North  and  South  had  penetrated  and  as  the 
daily  coach  rolled  up  before  the  cabin  door  Bill  always 
anxiously  inquired  for  papers  and  information. 

In  the  same  neighborhood,  not  more  than  thirteen  miles 
west  of  Rock  Creek,  there  was  a  rendezvous  known  as 
the  McCandlas  ranche.  It  was  located  in  a  barely  access- 
ible spot,  and  well  known  to  Bill  as  a  corral  for  stolen 
horses.  The  two  McCandlas  boys,  Jack  and  Jim,  had 
long  been  a  terror  to  the  central  part  of  Kansas ;  had 
killed  more  innocent  men  and  stolen  a  greater  number  of 
fine  horses  than  any  other  two  thieving  cut-throats  that 
ever  figured  in  the  annals  of  Western  outlawry.  They 
had  enlisted  about  one  dozen  of  equally  desperate  horse- 
thieves,  and  this  band  laid  enforced  tribute  upon  every 
farmer  in  that  section,  and  when  horse  stealing  grew  dull 
or  unprofitable  the  McCandlases  turned  their  talents — 


42  HEROES   OP   THE   PLAINS. 

which  were  decidedly  versatile — to  highway  robbery,  oc- 
casionally stopping  a  stage,  or  murdering  a  party  of  trav- 
elers. They  had  so  overrun  the  country  and  asserted 
their  power  that  no  attempt  was  ever  made  to  arrest 
them,  the  officers  of  the  several  adjoining  counties  fairly 
standing  in  awe  of  the  McCandlas  name. 

Kansas,  although  one  of  the  strongest  Union  States, 
nevertheless  furnished  some  recruits  for  the  Confederate 
service,  and  among  the  active  sympathizers  with  the  South, 
in  the  central  part  of  the  State,  the  McCandlas  gang  was 
particularly  prominent.  By  what  authority  he  acted  was 
never  discovered ;  perhaps  it  was  by  none,  and  that  his 
assumed  authority  was  but  a  pretext  for  bolder  robbery  ; 
but  it  is  certain  that  Jack  McCandlas  asserted  his  special 
employment  to  collect  horses,  and  enlist  recruits  for  the 
Confederate  service. 

About  five  miles  from  Rock  Creek  station,  toward  the 
head  of  the  branch,  lived  an  old  man  named  Shapley,  a 
good  old  soul  who,  with  his  aged  wife,  was  known  for 
kindness  of  heart  and  a  wholesome  sympathy.  As  occa- 
sion sometimes  offered  he  would  preach  at  points  in  the 
neighborhood  when  as  many  as  a  dozen  persons  could  be 
collected  together,  a  circumstance  which  the  sparse  set- 
tlement very  seldom  afforded.  This  occasional  occupa- 
tion gained  for  him  the  titular  honor  of  parson,  so  that 
he  was  always  called  Parson  Shapley  by  those  who  knew 
him.  Notwithstanding  his  grey  hairs  and  naturally 
peaceful  disposition,  when  the  threats  of  rebellion  struck 
his  ears,  the  parson  was  not  slow  to  show  the  blood,  at 
least,  of  his  fighting  ancestors.  He  was  a  pronounced 
Union  man  and  like  a  true  "Westerner  spit  out  his  mind 
without  regard  for  results,  and  by  an  unconcealed  patri- 
otism rendered  himself  specially  obnoxious  to  the  Mc- 
Candlas thieves.  On  the  16th  day  of  December,  1870, 


LITE    OF    WILD    BILL.  43 

Wild  Bill,  whose  title  of  "Wild"  was  so  soon  to  be 
gained,  saw  coming  down  the  stage  road  a  party  of  four 
horsemen  headed  by  Jim  McCandlas,  who  was  leading 
the  venerable  old  parson  by  a  lariet  fastened  about  his 
neck.  The  sight  aroused  Bill's  sympathy,  but  while  he 
was  well  disposed  to  assist  the  aged  man  yet  discretion 
admonished  him  of  the  f  ruitlessness  of  such  an  undertak- 
ing under  existing  circumstances.  When  the  party  came 
abreast  of  the  * '  dug-out,"  McCandlas  in  a  most  audacious 
and  authoritative  manner  spoke  to  Bill  as  follows : 

"  Look  a  here,  I  mean  business  ;  I  am  a  gatherin'  up 
horses  for  the  Secesh  service  and  I  want  yer  to  jist  git 
them  thar  horses  in  yer  stable  ready  for  me  when  I  come 
back  here,  which  will  be  about  three  or  four  o'clock  this 
arternoon.  This  old  hypocritical  devil  I've  got  here 
has  been  a  havin*  of  his  say  a  little  too  free  around  here 
and  I  concluded  to  take  him  along  and  show  him  the 
needsessity  of  keepin*  his  mouth  shet." 

In  addition  to  this  burst  of  mandatory  language  Mc- 
Candlas endeavored  to  persuade  Bill  to  join  him  and 
enter  the  Confederate  service,  but  the  reply  was  one  of 
those  fearless  expressions  which  Bill  knew  so  well  how 
to  give.  Said  he  : 

"You  go  to  h — 1 !  when  you  want  these  horses  come 
and  take  them,  and  if  you  want  me,  you'll  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  finding  me  here."  Bill  then  withdrew  into  the 
dug-out,  while  McCandlas  and  his  men  rode  on  toward 
their  rendezvous. 

Now  it  happened  that  Doc.  Mills  had  left  the  cabin 
only  a  short  time  before,  and  gone  down  the  creek  some 
distance,  taking  a  shot-gun  with  him  to  kill  quails  or  other 
game  he  might  find,  to  provision  the  place  with  meat. 
Thus  Bill  was  left  alone,  with  no  one  even  to  consult  re-* 
garding  the  most  desirable  method  of  defense.  In  the 

8 


44  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAli  8. 

cabin  there  were  several  weapons,  however,  consisting  of 
a  Mississippi  Yager — a  rifle  of  very  large  bore — two  re- 
volvers and  two  bowie-knives.  Finding  these  in  good 
condition  Bill  determined  to  give  the  party,  on  their  re- 
turn, an  interesting  reception  and  trust  to  luck  for  the 
outcome.  The  stables  were  securely  closed  and  the  dug- 
out put  in  a  state  of  defense. 

Directly  after  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  true  to 
their  promise,  the  McCandlas  boys,  with  eight  of  their 
desperate  followers  were  seen  approaching  in  a  smart  trot. 
As  they  came  up  to  the  stables,  finding  the  doors 
locked,  they  called  to  Bill  to  "come  out  of  his  shell  " 
and  deliver  the  horses,  accompanying  the  command  with 
a  threat  that  if  he  refused  there  would  be  a  small  murder 
at  Rock  Creek  and  the  stage  company  would  have  to  en- 
gage another  watchman . 

Bill  shouted  back  to  his  beleaguers  that  he  would  shoot 
the  first  man  who  attempted  to  open  a  stable  door,  and 
if  there  were  any  murdering  done  at  Rock  Creek  there 
might  also  be  more  than  one  victim  to  bury. 

The  ten  villains  were  really  elated  with  this  reply,  be- 
cause they  had  a  spite  which  found  in  this  answer  suf- 
ficient pretext  for  satisfying ;  in  short,  they  wanted  to 
kill  somebody  in  addition  to  increasing  their  horse  corral, 
and  Bill,  single  handed,  would  make  such  an  easy  and 
choice  victim  !  Leaving  their  horses,  which  they  first 
methodically  tied  to  swinging  limbs,  Jack  McCandlas 
ordered  his  men  to  bring  forward  a  log,  which  lay 
the  premises,  and  with  this  they  began  battering  the 
door  of  the  dug-out,  which  succumbed  after  a  few  heavy 
thrusts  had  been  delivered.  Bill  stood  partly  behind  the 
old  blanket,  with  the  Yager  in  hand  and  his  other 
weapons  lying  on  a  rude  table  beside  him,  convenient  to 
bis  grasp.  When  the  door  splintered  and  fell  in  Jira 


LIFE  OF  WILD  BILL.  47 

McCandlas  with  a  large  revolver  in  one  hand  and  a  bowie-. 
knife  in  the  other,  with  a  yell  leaped  across  the  thresh- 
hold,  pressed  by  the  others  behind  him.  But  the  volun- 
tary leap  ended  in  an  involuntary  spring  into  eternity, 
for  Bill  received  him  with  a  discharge  from  the  heavy 
rifle,  sending  an  ounce  ball  directly  through  the  despera- 
do's heart.  Jim  never  struggled  after  he  fell,  only 
drawing  up  his  legs  slightly,  as  if  to  give  more  room  for 
the  entrance  of  his  comrades.  Scarcely  was  the  blaze 
from  the  rifle  extinguished  before  Bill  had  seized  his 
pistols  and  killed  three  more  of  his  assailants  before  any 
of  them  reached  him.  The  combat  now  became  truly 
furious,  for  the  six  remaining  cut-throats  had  gained  the 
rear  of  the  cabin  and  grappled  with  Bill  who  continued 
pouring  shots  from  a  pistol  while  he  began  cutting  right 
and  left  with  his  bowie.  The  gang  were  equally  active, 
discharging  bullets  into  Bill's  body,  but  owing  to  their 
number  they  fought  to  great  disadvantage.  One  of 
the  desperadoes  struck  Bill  over  the  head  and  knocked 
him  backward  across  the  table,  and  immediately  Jack 
McCandlas  leaped  on  the  prostrate  and  badly  wounded 
man,  and  with  knife  uplifted  was  in  the  very  act  of 
sheathing  the  keen  blade  in  the  heart  of  his  victim,  but 
ere  the  thrust  was  accomplished  Bill  shoved  his  pistol 
into  McCandlas'  breast  and  fired.  The  knife  descended 
with  great  force,  but  the  aim  was  deflected  so  that  it 
struck  in  the  table.  McCandlas  trembled  for  a*  moment 
with  the  chill  of  death  that  shot  through  his  body,  and 
with  fierce  but  glazing  eyes  he  dropped  dead  upon  the 
floor.  The  bowie  in  Bill's  hands  now  did  desperate 
work,  plunging  from  one  heart  into  another,  and  draw- 
ing great  fountains  of  blood  which  spurted  about  until 
the  floor  was  fairly  flooded  ;  but  his  own  life  current 
assisted  largely  to  swell  the  bright  red  streams,  for  his 


48  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

body  was  punctured  by  bullet  holes  and  knife  thrusta, 
but  the  recesses  of  his  life  had  not  been  touched  and  hia 
strong  arm  continued  to  do  its  deadly  work.  Six  of  the 
men  who  came  to  make  of  Bill  an  easy  victim  now  lay 
dead  upon  the  floor,  while  two  were  desperately  wounded 
and  only  two  remained  unharmed.  Finding  in  their  foe 
such  wonderful  vitality  and  precision  of  deadly  aim  with 
pistol  and  knife  the  four  beat  a  retreat,  rushing  out  of 
the  cabin  pursued  closely  by  Bill.  The  two  uninjured 
gained  their  horses  and  fled  precipitately  while  another 
ran  down  the  hill  carrying  such  desperate  wounds  that  he 
was  unable  to  mount.  The  other  could  barely  reach  the 
foot  of  a  large  tree  fifty  yards  from  the  cabin  and  there 
he  was  shot  to  death  by  Bill  with  the  gun  wrested  from 
Doc.  Mills,  who  came  upon  the  scene  at  this  moment. 
The  wounded  man  who  escaped  by  running  down  the 
hill  (Bill  being  unable  to  pursue  him  because  of  his  own 
desperate  wounds,)  managed  by  some  means  to  reach 
the  town  of  Manhattan,  several  miles  distant,  where  he 
died  soon  after  from  his  terrible  injuries. 

After  the  fight  was  ended  Bill,  who  had  kept  his  feet 
only  under  the  stimulant  of  excessive  excitement,  at  onoe 
relapsed  into  an  unconscious  condition  and  was  carried 
into  the  dug-out  by  his  partner,  and  laid  on  the  bed, 
which  was  saturated  with  blood.  In  about  one  hour 
afterward  the  western  stage  rolled  up,  containing  six  pas- 
sengers, among  whom  was  Capt.  E.  W.  Kingsbury,  who 
is  now  a  resident  of  Kansas  City,  holding  the  position  of 
Chief  of  U.  S.  Storekeepers  for  the  Western  District  of 
Missouri,  who  afterward  became  one  of  Bill's  most 
intimate  friends.  The  sight  which  presented  itself  to  the 
gaze  of  the  stage  passengers,  all  of  whom  entered  the 
cabin  to  view  the  havoc  which  one  man  had  wrought,  was 
most  distressing  to  ordinary  sensibilities.  There  lay,  ID 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL.  49 

hideous  death,  six  repulsive  featured  men,  full  of  gaping 
wounds . 

Bill  remained  in  a  semi-conscious  state  for  some  time, 
until  one  of  the  passengers,  who  chanced  to  be  something 
of  a  surgeon,  resuscitated  him  by  means  of  brandy  and 
cold  water  applications  ;  and  after  a  while  he  regained  suf- 
ficient strength  to  give  some  of  the  particulars  of  the  des- 
perate fight.  While  telling,  in  broken  sentences,  how  he 
had  been  forced  into  a  defense  of  the  place,  he  used  this 
expression:  "When  six  of  the  crowd  piled  on  me  and 
one  struck  me  with  his  gun,  I  thought  my  day  had  come, 
so  I  just  got  wild  and  slashed  about,  like  a  bear  with  a 
death-wound,  and  I  guess  that  is  how  I  came  to  get  away 
with  them."  From  that  moment  he  was  given  the  name 
of  "Wild  Bill,"  which  afterward  so  effectually  super- 
ceded  his  real  name,  as  well  also  as  that  of  "  Shanghai 
Bill,"  that  he  went  to  his  grave  with  that  appellation  and 
left  all  his  deeds  to  history  under  that  most  appropriate 
nom  de  guerre. 

A  careful  examination  of  his  wounds  disclosed  the  fol- 
lowing, nearly  any  one  of  which  it  would  appear  was 
quite  enough  to  kill  an  ordinary  man :  A  fracture  of  the 
skull — the  frontal  bone ;  three  terrible  gashes  in  the 
breast ;  his  left  forearm  cut  through  to  the  bone  ;  four 
bullets  in  his  body,  one  in  his  left  hip  and  two  through 
the  fleshy  part  of  his  right  leg  ;  his  right  cheek  cut  open, 
and  the  skin  of  his  forehead  cut  so  deeply  that  a  large 
portion  of  the  scalp  dropped  down  so  far  over  his  eyes  as 
to  almost  blind  him.  A  surgeon  was  sent  for,  who  came 
directly  from  Manhattan,  about  seven  miles  distant,  and 
oH  Mrs.  Watkiiis,  a  five-mile  distant  neighbor,  hearing 
of  the  encounter,  came  down  to  the  cabin  directly  and 
Ttlunteered  to  nurse  the  wounded  hero  through  his  dan- 
grcous  extremity.  For  one  month  afterward  his  im- 


50  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

provement  was  almost  imperceptible,  but  after  that  time 
his  condition  took  a  mope  favorable  turn  and  his  wounds 
healed  so  rapidly  that  in  June  following  he  was  able  to 
walk  about,  and  was  removed  to  Denver,  and  in  less  than 
one  year  after  the  fight  his  recovery  was  complete.  The 
stage  company  paid  all  of  his  expenses  during  the  period 
of  his  confinement,  but  never  otherwise  recognized  his 
faithfulness  in  defending  their  property. 

This  combat,  of  one  man  fairly  whipping  ten  acknowl- 
edged desperadoes,  has  no  parallel,  I  make  bold  to  say, 
in  any  authentic  history.  The  fight  has  been  described 
more  than  a  hundred  times  in  newspapers  and  periodicals, 
and  was  illustrated  in  Harper's  Magazine,  but  all  accounts 
heretofore  have  been  marred  by  much  fiction  and  gross 
inaccuracies.  The  particulars  as  here  recorded  are  un- 
questionably correct,  for  they  were  obtained  from  Capt. 
Kingsbury,  who  heard  Bill's  first  recital  of  the  facts  right 
on  the  battle-ground  ;  Jolly,  the  man  who  escaped  but 
died  a  few  days  afterward  at  Manhattan,  corroborated 
Bill's  statement  of  the  facts,  and  Dr.  Joshua  Thome,  one 
of  the  most  prominent  physicians  in  Kansas  City,  who 
attended  upon  and  was  one  of  Bill's  confidantes,  repeated 
to  me  the  same  story  as  he  himself  had  heard  his  pa- 
tient relate  it.  These  direct  and  most  reliable  sources, 
each  affirming  the  same  facts,  leave  no  room  for  doubting 
the  correctness  of  this  account. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LEAVING  Denver,  Wild  Bill  went  directly  to  Leaven- 
worth,  and  his  name  being  in  nearly  every  person's  mouth 
as  the  greatest  fighter  that  had  ever  made  a  record,  owing 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  51 

to  his  annihilation  of  the  McCandlas  gang,  Gen.  John 
C.  Fremont,  in  command  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  sent  for 
him  immediately  upon  hearing  of  his  arrival,  and  offered 
him  the  position  of  Brigade  Wagon  Master.  At  this  time 
the  great  civil  war  had  overshadowed  everything  else, 
and  the  adjoining  borders  of  Missouri  and  Kansas  had 
become  the  theater  of  a  truly  direful  conflict.  Men  of 
nerve  and  cunning  were  in  great  demand,  for  murder, 
under  the  color  of  justifiable  war,  was  beginning  to  point 
its  shivering  finger  at  every  highway  where  the  blood  of 
men  had  quenched  the  thirst  of  the  earth.  Bill  accepted 
the  position,  though  not  under  enlistment,  and  directly 
thereafter  he  was  ordered  to  conduct  a  provision  train 
from  the  Fort  to  Sedalia,  Missouri.  On  the  third  day 
after  their  departure,  a  few  miles  inside  the  Missouri 
line,  the  train  was  suddenly  attacked  by  a  company  of 
Confederates  under  Capt.  Blunt,  who,  owing  to  the  al- 
most unexampled  cowardice  of  the  men  under  Bill — 
though  numbering  scarcely  more  than  one  dozen — cap- 
tured the  outfit  without  meeting  any  resistance.  How- 
ever, while  the  Confederates  easily  made  prisoners  of  his 
men,  Bill  refused  to  surrender,  and  single-handed  opened 
fire.  Being  well  mounted,  he  turned  his  horse  toward 
Kansas  City,  followed  by  fifty  of  the  enemy.  The  chase 
continued  for  several  miles,  with  a  rapid  exchange  of 
shots,  in  which  flying  encounter  Bill  killed  four  of  his 
pursuers  and  escaped  himself  without  injury.  Col.  Jen- 
nison  had  a  considerable  force  under  him  at  Kansas  City, 
and  Bill,  reporting  the  circumstances  of  the  capture  of 
his  train,  two  companies  were  hastily  mounted  and  sent 
out  to  recover  the  property.  Bill  accompanied  the  sol- 
diers, and  by  fast  riding  the  Confederates  were  struck 
within  fifteen  miles  of  the  place  where  the  first  attack 
was  made.  A  charge  was  at  once  ordered,  at  the  head 


52  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

of  which  rode  Wild  Bill,  who,  considering  the  fact  of  his 
new  commission,  felt  that  he  had  been  dishonored  by  the 
loss  of  his  first  charge.  The  fight  was  a  short  and  de- 
cisive one,  for  the  Confederates,  being  taken  by  surprise, 
in  return,  speedily  scattered  and  thus  let  their  new  acqui- 
sition again  fall  into  the  possession  of  the  Union  troops. 
Bill  was  very  much  elated  over  the  result,  and  in  triumph 
conducted  the  train  into  Sedalia  and  immediately  after- 
ward offered  his  services  to  Gen.  Samuel  R.  Curtis,  who 
was  acting  under  orders  of  Gen.  Halleck,  and  who  con- 
tinued him  in  the  position  to  which  Gen.  Fremont  had 
appointed  him,  until  the  spring  of  1863. 

During  his  engagement  as  wagon  master,  conveying 
supplies  for  Curtis7  army,  which  was  operating  against 
the  Confederate  forces  under  Gens.  VanDom,  Price  and 
McCulloch,  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge  was  fought  (March 
6th,  7th  and  8th,  '62),  in  which  Bill  became  a  voluntary 
participant,  taking  the  part  of  a  sharp  shooter.  He  ob- 
tained an  eligible  location  on  the  hill  overlooking  Cross- 
Timber  Hollow,  and  from  behind  a  large  log,  where  he 
lay  concealed  for  nearly  four  hours,  he  killed,  by  actual 
count,  thirty-five  of  the  enemy,  among  his  victims  being 
Gen.  McCulloch.  This  dreadful  execution  served  to 
direct  the  attention  of  a  Confederate  company  which  de- 
termined upon  dislodging  and  killing  him.  The  company 
charged  up  the  hill,  firing  so  rapidly  that  Bill's  fortifica- 
tion was  punctured  by  bullets  like  a  pepper  box,  and  but  for 
the  timely  relief  of  one  hundred  comrades  who  had  recog- 
nized his  dangerous  position  and  charged  down  from  the 
apex  of  the  hill  to  the  rescue,  he  would  certainly  have  soon 
resembled  his  friendly  log.  The  two  companies  met  not 
more  than  one  hundred  yards  from  the  spot  where  Wild 
Bill  lay,  and  an  engagement  followed  which  was  by  far 
the  hottest  of  the  entire  battle,  for  the  encounter  came 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  53 

hand  to  hand  and  the  ground  was  so  bitterly  disputed 
that  more  than  one  half  of  each  company  was  killed. 

Soon  after  the  battle  of  PeaKidge  Gen.  Curtis,  discov- 
ering the  qualifications  Wild  Bill  possessed,  and  knowing 
his  history  as  a  fighter  on  the  plains,  engaged  him  as  a 
spy,  with  instructions  to  enter  Price's  lines  and  collect 
necessary  information  as  to  the  immediate  and  ultimate 
intentions  of  the  Confederate  general.  Price  had  already 
laid  waste  a  large  portion  of  Western  Missouri,  besides 
recruiting  his  forces  by  the  acquisition  of  many  men  and 
horses.  He  had  been  so  successful  in  the  campaign  that 
the  Government  was  seriously  alarmed,  especially  as  Mis- 
souri was  never  regarded  as  a  loyal  State,  and  it  was 
gravely  feared  that  a  series  of  Confederate  successes  in- 
side her  borders  might  serve  to  carry  the  State  out  of  the 
Union,  a  proposition  already  seriously  debated.  It  was 
for  these  reasons  that  Gen.  Curtis  had  been  specially  em- 
ployed to  operate  against  Price  and  drive  him  from  the 
State.  Immediately  after  Bill's  employment  as  a  spy  he 
was  given  a  fine  horse  and  directed  to  use  his  own  means 
for  entering  the  Confederate  lines.  Accordingly,  he  as- 
sumed the  name  of  Bill  Barnes  and  making  a  wide  circuit 
through  Kansas  and  Indian  Territory  he  entered  Arkansas 
below  the  western  center  and  made  directly  toward  Lit- 
tle Rock.  Arriving  there  he  enlisted  in  a  Confederate 
company  of  mounted  rangers  which  he  knew  was  organ- 
izing under  Price's  recruiting  service  to  join  the  operating 
force  in  Southwest  Missouri. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September  the  company  joined 
Price,  who,  a  few  days  after,  formed  a  junction  with 
Gen.  Joe  Shelby  on  Elk  River,  in  Newton  county.  Here  it 
was  decided  to  make  a  stand  and  await  the  coming  of  Curtis 
who  was  following  swiftly  after  with  a  force  slightly  inferior 
to  that  of  the  combined  commands  of  Price  and  Shelby. 


4  HEROES   OF   THE    PLAINS. 

Bill  received  the  appointment  of  orderly  to  Gen.  Price 
within  a  week  after  his  enlistment,  a  position  which  offer- 
ed special  opportunities  for  acquiring  information  of  the 
greatest  value  to  Curtis.  On  the  23d  day  of  October  the 
Union  forces  drove  in  the  Confederate  pickets  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river — or  more  properly  creek — and  at 
once  the  command  prepared  for  battle.  Shelby  lay  on 
the  extreme  left,  while  Price  occupied  the  right,  from 
which,  being  first  in  the  command,  he  was  to  direct  the 
engagement.  While  the  armies  were  thus  lying  looking 
into  the  face  of  each  other,  separated  only  by  a  narrow 
creek  and  the  rapidly  approaching  twilight  which  admon- 
ished each  side  to  postpone  the  fight  until  the  morrow, 
Gen.  Price  placed  some  dispatches  in  Bill's  hands  and  or- 
dered him  to  deliver  them  to  Shelby  at  once.  The  posi- 
tion of  the  daring  spy  had  now  become  critical  in  the  ex- 
treme. From  the  moment  Shelby  had  joined  Price,  Bill 
had  been  very  anxious  to  communicate  with  Curtis,  but 
no  opportunity  was  offered.  But  now  that  preparations 
had  been  made  for  battle  it  was  more  than  important  that 
he  should  gain  the  Union  lines,  and  he  resolved  to  reach 
Curtis  at  all  hazards,  a  determination  which  he  accom- 
plished by  having  recourse  to  the  following  dangerous 
strategy.  In  the  company  that  had  been  recently  recruit- 
ed  at  Little  Rock  was  a  large,  lank  Arkansas  desparado 
named  Jake  Lawson.  He  was  A  1  at  drinking,  shoot- 
ing, cutting  and  bloviating.  His  reputation  for  being  a 
" rough  customer"  had  caused  him  to  be  chosen  ser- 
geant of  the  company,  and  the  manner  of  his  boasting 
led  all  his  comrades  to  expect  something  brilliantly  dar- 
ing from  him  during  the  campaign.  Taking  the  dis- 
patches from  Gen.  Price,  Wild  Bill,  with  a  courteous 
g^ppp  of  his  hand,  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  directly 
it  ward  the  left  of  the  lines,  but  when  he  reached  the 


LIFE   OF  WILD  BILL.  55 

center,  out  of  Price's  sight,  he  halted  before  his  company 
and  called  forLawson.  When  the  big  bully  came  out  of 
his  tent  Bill,  in  a  loud  voice,  so  that  all  his  comrades 
might  hear  the  dialogue,  addressed  him  as  follows : 

"  See  here,  Jake,  let's  have  a  little  fun  ;  these  fellows 
have  never  been  under  fire,  so  suppose  we  give  'em  a 
sample  of  our  pluck  so  as  to  encourage  them  for  to- 
morrow." 

"Well,"  responded  Lawson,  "what  do  you  want  to 
do  ?  Do  you  want  to  fight  me  with  pistols  at  three  paces, 
or  do  you  prefer  the  bowie  with  the  two  ends  of  a  hand- 
kerchief held  in  our  teeth  over  the  back  of  a  chair  ?  ' ' 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Bill,  "nothing  so  bad  as  that,  but 
I'll  make  you  take  water  on  a  less  dangerous  experiment. 
I'll  wager  my  horse  against  yours  that  I  can  ride  closer  to 
the  enemy's  line  than  you  can ," 

Lawson  looked  at  Bill  a  moment,  and  then  tossing  his 
head,  as  an  evidence  of  disgust,  walked  again  into  his 
tent,  when  a  laugh  from  those  near  the  two  caused  him 
to  stop. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  your  nerve?"  asked  Bill* 
"  You  ain't  afraid,  are  you,  Jake?  " 

"  No,  I  aint  afeerd,"  responded  Lawson,  "  but  what's 
the  use  trying  such  infernal  nonsense?  " 

"  None  at  all,"  replied  Bill,  "  if  you  haven't  got  the 
sand  to  accept  the  challenge.  I  only  wanted  to  see  the 
real  color  of  your  character." 

At  this  the  boys  began  to  laugh  again ,  and  several  were 
bold  enough  to  remark  that  it  did  look  very  much  as 
though  Jake  Lawson  was  a  bogus  desperado . 

Being  pressed  and  taunted  Jake  at  length  agreed  to  put 
his  mettle  as  well  as  his  horse  against  that  of  Bill's,  and 
the  two  mounting  rode  out,  followed  anxiously  by  the 
eyes  of  the  entire  company,  until  they  came  to  an  open 


56 


HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


space  directly  in  view  of  the  Union  forces.  "  Now,  come 
on,"  cried  Bill,  who,  putting  spurs  to  his  horse,  dashed 
down  toward  the  creek  with  Lawson  abreast,  but  about 
two  rods  west  of  him.  The  Union  pickets  seeing  the 
riders  coming  toward  them,  began  firing,  which  brought 
into  line  the  forces  of  both  armies.  Upon  reaching  the 
bank  of  the  stream  Bill,  being  in  great  danger  himself 


A  Close  Shave. 


from  the  bullets  of  his  friends,  cried  out:  "  Hold  jour 
fire,  I'm  Wild  Bill,  trying  to  get  into  the  lines."  This 
remark,  while  it  revealed  him  to  his  friends,  also  ex- 
posed his  purpose  to  Lawson  and  the  Confederates.  See- 
ing now  that  he  had  been  caught  in  a  cunning  trap  the 
big  sergeant  attempted  to  draw  his  pistol,  but  Bill's  eyes 
were  upon  him  and  the  next  instant  he  had  sent  a  ball 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  57 

crashing  through  his  brain,  and  as  he  fell  his  horse,  gal- 
loping on,  was  caught  by  Bill  who  spurred  his  own  horse 
into  the  stream  leading  by  the  bridle  that  of  the  dead 
sergeant.  By  the  time  Bill  had  reached  the  middle  of 
the  creek,  making  necessarily  slow  progress,  the  Confed- 
erates poured  down  to  the  bank  and  more  than  fifty  rifles 
were  turned  loose  at  the  fugitive.  The  bullets  were  fall- 
ing about  his  head  like  mosquitoes  swarming  over  fresh 
prey,  splashing  the  water  in  his  face  and  singing  their 
enquiring  impromptus  fairly  in  his  ears.  Truly,  it  was  a 
position  almost  as  hot  as  that  which  tradition  tells  us  the 
Hebrew  trio  occupied  on  a  memorable  occasion,  but  with- 
out the  protection  of  a  sacred  guardianship  Bill  passed 
through  that  fire  of  leaden  hail  without  receiving  the  least 
injury.  As  he  emerged  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
stream,  with  the  two  horses,  a  great  cheer  of  congratula- 
tion went  up  from  Curtis'  men,  and  then  a  brisk  engage- 
ment followed  between  the  two  opposing  forces  across 
the  creek.  With  great  respect  Wild  Bill  placed  in  Gen. 
Curtis'  hands  the  dispatches  entrusted  to  him  by  Gen. 
Price  for  transmission  to  Shelby,  and  imparted  such  other 
information  as  fully  advised  Curtis  of  the  strength  and 
intentions  of  the  Confederates.  The  battle  which  was 
expected  to  take  place  on  the  following  day  was  avoided 
by  the  Confederates  who,  breaking  camp  that  night, 
pushed  onward  into  Arkansas. 

Remaining  with  Curtis  a  f e,w  days,  who  continued  the 
chase  after  the  Confederates,  Wild  Bill  was  requested  to 
again  enter  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  for  information. 
Repairing  to  a  tent  by  himself  for  a  while  he  spent  the 
time  in  changing  his  appearance  so  as  to  escape  detection. 
His  make-up  now  was  so  ingenious  that  it  was  almost  im- 
possible for  Gen.  Curtis  himself  to  recognize  him.  From 
a  sleek,  trim  and  neat  figure,  with  perfectly  fitting  clothes, 


58  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

he  emerged  from  his  tent  one  of  the  most  woe-be-goue 
specimens  of  Arkansas  travelers  the  country  afforded. 
There  was  that  idiomatic  expression,  too,  which  disfig- 
ured his  voice  equally  as  the  clothes  did  his  body.  Thus 
prepared  for  his  dangerous  mission,  and  accompanied  by 
Natt  Tuckett,  an  old  and  valuable  friend,  he  again  set 
out,  going  south-west,  through  the  Indian  Territory,  and 
down  into  central  Texas  where,  at  Austin,  he  and  Tuckett 
joined  the  Confederate  forces  under  Kirby  Smith.  A 
few  days  afterward  Smith  struck  his  tents  and  moved  up 
into  Arkansas,  that  State  having  now  become  the  theatre 
of  a  desperate  conflict  between  divisions  from  both 
armies.  Curtis  had  pushed  Price  and  Shelby  until  the 
debated  ground  had  become  like  fighting  a  man  on  his 
own  hearth-stone,  and  instead  of  seeking  an  open  or  de- 
cisive engagement  his  movements  were  now  directed  by  a 
wholesome  regard  for  possible  results.  Smith  reached 
the  Arkansas  river  near  Lewisburg,  in  Con  way  county, 
and  while  there  encamped  his  advance  scouts  reported 
the  approach  of  Curtis  with  a  force  of  five  thousand  men 
and  two  pieces  of  light  ordnance.  The  respective  com- 
mands were  about  equal,  though  Smith  was  without  any 
field  guns.  There  being  a  ferry  at  Lewisburg  the  Con- 
federates made  a  crossing  and  pushed  forward  to  gain  an 
advantage  ground  and  throw  up  breastworks  so  as  to  re- 
ceive the  Federals  while  in  line  of  march.  But  the  sur- 
prise was  not  accomplished,  as  Curtis  was  an  officer  of 
great  caution  and  being  in  the  enemy's  own  country  he 
kept  his  advance  well  guarded.  Locating  Smith,  Curtis 
halted,  in  line  of  battle,  on  a  little  knoll  about  one  thou- 
sand yards  from  the  position  occupied  by  the  Confeder- 
ates, and  bringing  his  two  ten  pound  guns  into  action,  he 
began  a  brisk  shelling  with  the  hope  of  dislodging  thr> 
enemy  and  bringing  on  an  engagement  in  the  opening 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL.  59 

But  Smith  immediately  despatched  back  for  reinforce- 
ments and  remained  sullenly  silent,  receiving  the  fire  of 
the  Federals  passively,  as  in  fact  it  was  wholly  ineffec- 
tual. 

The  position  of  the  two  armies  remained  unchanged  for 
more  than  an  hour,  the  field-pieces  continuing  their  rapid 
discharges  and  the  shells  screaming  apparently  only  for 
the  amusement  of  both  sides.  Suddenly  there  were  de- 
scried two  horsejaen  leaping  from  the  breastworks  and 
making  a  bold  and  rapid  dash  toward  the  Federal  lines. 
More  than  a  minute  elapsed  before  a  shot  was  fired,  which 
clearly  indicated  that  the  Confederates  had  either  dis- 
patched the  riders  for  some  singular  purpose,  or  else  did 
not  themselves  at  first  comprehend  the  strange  action. 
But  surprise  was  terminated  and  curiosity  satisfied  by  a 
rapid  discharge  of  musketry  followed  by  a  dozen  cavalry- 
men well  mounted  and  in  rapid  pursuit.  Now  the  ride 
began  in  earnest  and  a  wild  one  it  proved  to  be.  The 
Federals  at  once  saw  that  the  two  first  riders  were  fugi- 
tives from  the  Confederate  lines  and  a -hurrah  went  up, 
which  swelled  on  the  air  like  an  engagement  with  new 
brigades  just  brought  into  action.  For  the  first  two  or 
three  hundred  yards  a  regular  distance  was  maintained 
between  the  pursued  and  pursuers,  but  after  this  two 
from  the  latter  party  began  to  distance  their  comrades 
and  gain  on  the  deserters.  Coming  to  a  broad  ditch  the 
horse  of  one  cleared  it  with  a  bound  while  the  other  rider 
went  down  with  a  mortal  wound  from  the  pistols  of  the 
two  nearest  pursuers.  The  next  moment  the  single  fu- 
gitive was  seen  to  wheel  his  horse  and,  putting  out  his 
arms,  two  whiffs  of  smoke  ascended  and  the  two  pursuers 
fell  under  their  horses  feet  and  lay  so  still  that  it  was  un- 
necessery  to  inquire  if  their  wounds  were  mortal.  The 
fugitive  then  rode  into  the  Federal  lines  waving  his  broad 


60  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

sombrero  over  his  head  but  with  tears  coursing  rapidly 
down  his  sun-burnt  cheeks.  It  was  Wild  Bill,  the  spy, 
who  had  performed  this  perilous  feat,  starting  out  in 
company  with  his  friend  Tuckett  who  now  lay  dead  by 
the  ditch  midway  between  the  two  armies.  With  an  es- 
cort of  three  men  Bill  rode  back  and  recovered  the  body 
of  his  beloved  comrade  and  then  with  due  solemnity  it 
was  buried  in  a  green  spot  on  the  hillside  near  the  bat- 
tery. 

The  motive  which  prompted  this  remarkable  ride  can- 
not be  divined.  Of  course  Bill  had  important  information 
to  convey  to  Gen.  Curtis,  but  other  means  might  have 
been  employed,  more  consistent  with  good  judgment,  to 
reach  the  Federal  lines .  It  was ,  however,  no  less  singular 
that  Bill  thus  comported  himself  at  all  times  during  his 
service  as  a  spy ;  though  wonderfully  strategic  yet  he 
took  chances  which  no  other  spy  would  have  tolerated  in 
a  companion,  for  he  exposed  himself  almost  constantly  to 
detection,  and  trusted  to  boldness,  swiftness,  and  his  ac- 
curacy of  aim  for  escape  ;  and  with  these,  or  good  luck, 
he  managed  to  avoid  the  usual  penalties  of  indiscretion. 

After  getting  back  from  his  second  expedition  as  a  spy  in 
the  Confederate  lines,  Bill  requested  a  short  vacation,  and 
returned  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  he  met  William 
Cody  who  had  not  yet  gained  the  well-known  title  of 
"Buffalo  Bill."  The  two  had  met  before  the  war  and 
an  intimacy  had  sprung  up,  growing  out  of  an  incident 
which  occurred  directly  after  Cody  first  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  as  camp  boy  in  1857. 
"  Billy,"  as  he  was  called,  being  at  that  time  only  twelve 
years  of  age,  though  brave  as  a  young  catamount,  became 
the  special  object  of  aversion  to  one  of  the  bull-drivers,  a 
great  big,  blustering,  overbearing  desperado.  Under  a 
slight  pretext  this  bully  struck  *  *  Billy ' '  one  day  while 


UFE   OF  WILD   BILL. 

In  camp,  knocking  him  backward  over  a  log.  Wild  Bill 
witnessed  this  unprovoked  assault  and,  making  two  steps 
forward,  he  struck  the  bully  a  blow  in  the  face  which 
sent  him  sprawling  ten  feet  away  while  the  blood  spurted 
from  his  nose  in  a  torrent.  It  was  a  clean  knock-down 
which  took  the  overbearing  brute  with  such  surprise  that 
he  scarcely  realized  from  whence  the  blow  came.  But  he 
saw  Wild  Bill  standing  over  him,  and  took  excellent  heed 
of  the  admonition  "never  to  lay  hands  on  that  boy 
again." 

When  Wild  Bill  met  Cody  in  Leavenworth  he  was  un- 
der engagement  to  take  a  government  train  to  Rolla, 
Missouri,  and  he  asked  Cody  to  go  with  him,  which  the 
latter  was  glad  to  do.  After  reaching  Rolla  the  two  con- 
tinued their  companionship  to  St.  Louis,  taking  with 
them  a  fine  race-horse  that  Bill  had  used  in  scouting  ser- 
vice, intending  to  enter  the  St.  Louis  races  which  were 
advertised  to  take  place  in  September.  Bill  and  Cody 
had  been  saving  up  some  money,  and  between  them  they 
counted  up  about  $750,  principally  in  paper  money  of 
State  bank  issue.  The  two  went  out  to  the  race-course 
in  fine  spirits,  confident  of  securing  a  goodly  stake,  be- 
cause they  harbored  the  suspicion  that  their  horse  was 
very  deceptive  in  his  appearance  and  that  this  advantage 
they  would  turn  to  good  account.  Their  only  concern 
was  in  getting  their  bets  taken,  for  they  felt  so  certain 
that  "Old  Mountain/'  as  the  horse  was  called,  could 
easily  run  away  with  any  animal  the  St.  Louis  jockeys 
could  produce  that  a  perfectly  natural  anxiety  was  felt 
for  the  prime  consideration — bettors. 

Bill  conducted  the  negotiations,  Cody  having  entrusted 
him  with  this  part  of  the  business,  laying  his  last  cent  in. 
his  comrade's  hands.  There  were  no  combinations  or 
pool  selling,  the  races  being  conducted  on  a  regular, 

4 


HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

old  time  basis.  Bill  moved  around  among  the  crowd 
making  offers,  and  his  success  in  getting  takers  filled  him 
with  happiness,  "  for  you  know,"  said  he  to  Cody,  who 
believed  him  implicitly,  "  we've  got  a  dead  sure  thing." 
After  putting  up  all  their  money  they  next  wagered  the 
horse  against  $250,  and  having  exhausted  all  their 
portables  the  race  was  prepared  for.  Cody,  a  spare,  but 
trimly  made  young  fellow,  one  of  the  best  riders  that 
ever  sat  on  horse-back,  was  stripped  to  handle  "  Old 
Mountain."  The  race  was  with  a  little  black  mare 
owned  by  a  party  from  Peoria,  very  neatly  coupled,  with 
all  the  marks  of  a  genuine  courser,  and  was  ridden  by  a 
negro  boy. 

The  preliminaries  being  arranged  the  two  horses  were 
brought  up  before  the  judges  and  sent  off  in  elegant  style, 
no  advantage.  "  Old  Mountain,"  however,  had  not  de- 
ceived the  St.  Louis  boys  so  much  as  he  had  drawn  the 
wool  down  over  the  eyes  of  his  backers,  and  as  the  little 
black  mare  sped  away,  lifting  up  the  dust  so  that  it  fairly 
hid  "  Old  Mountain,"  Cody  gathered  the  impression,  dis- 
agreeable as  it  was,  that  "the  dead  sure  thing"  had 
been  transferred  to  other  parties.  How  he  did  try  to 
unlimber  his  favorite !  and  he  was  now  as  unsparing  of  the 
whip  as  he  had  been  before  the  race  in  laying  his  wagers. 

When  they  passed  under  the  home-stretch  Bill  and 
Cody  looked,  for  all  the  world,  like  the  fellow  who  has 
bought  a  gold  brick, — "it  was  stolen  you  know,  and 
here  is  a  fortune  for  a  few  dollars" — but  finds  on  in- 
spection that  there  has  been  a  slight  mistake — a  veneer- 
ing of  gold  over  a  genuine  brick  of  brass. 

Our  two  heroes  were  woefully  "busted,"  and  away 
out  of  their  element,  because  they  did  not  know  a  singl* 
person  in  St.  Louis.  Sorry  enough  plight,  but,  like  a 
clause  in  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  "When,  in 


the  eourse  of  liuman  events,  it  becomes  necessary  to  beard 
the  lion  in  Ms  lair,  the  Indian  in  his  wigwam,  or  the 
wood-ciuck  in  his  hole — when  you' re  out  of  meat,"  etc., 
our  two  knights  of  the  empty  pocket-book  passed  appro- 
priate resolutions  which,  being  acted  upon,  resulted  in 
Wild  Bill  going  up  to  military  headquarters  where  he  en- 
gaged himself  as  scout.  Being  well  known  by  his  repu- 
tation, he  was  forced  to  put  this  in  pawn  for  twenty  dol- 
lars, which  he  turned  over  to  his  badly  damaged  protege. 
Cody  returned  to  Leavenworth  while  Bill  went  directly  to 
Springfield  and  from  this  point  located  and  again  joined 
Curtis,  where  we  find  him  in  the  adventure  described  in 
the  following  chapter. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CURTIS  was  continuing  his  operations  down  along 
Arkansas  river  in  1863,  and  Wild  Bill  having  reported  for 
duty  Curtis  again  employed  him  to  strike  the  Confeder- 
ate lines  and  especially  to  learn  the  designs  of  Van  Dorn 
and  Price,  who  were  so  quiet  that  Curtis  suspicioned  they 
were  meditating  plans  for  another  invasion  of  Missouri, 
One  of  his  chief  concerns,  and  which  gave  rise  to  this  con* 
elusion,  was  the  success  of  Quantrell  and  his  band  of 
guerillas,  who  were  laying  waste  the  western  counties  of 
Missouri  and  pillaging  the  people  of  eastern  Kansas. 

Taking  up  the  burden  of  this  third  dangerous  mission 
Bill  rode  directly  across  the  country  until  he  struck  the 
old  Santa  Fe  trail,  which  he  followed  three  days,  bring- 
ing him  into  the  western  part  of  Kansas  ;  then  striking 
due  south  he  passed  through  the  Indian  Territory  and  en* 


64  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

tered  Texas,  going  thence  east  along  the  border  to  the 
southwestern  corner  of  Arkansas  where,  after  reaching 
Texarkana,  he  stopped  a  few  days,  representing  himself 
as  a  Texas  drover.  From  this  point  he  rode  eastward 
until  he  came  to  the  house  of  an  old  negro  near  the  post- 
office  of  Buffalo,  in  Ouachita  county.  Reaching  the  lit- 
tle old  log  cabin  late  in  the  afternoon,  Bill  dismounted, 
and  entering  into  conversation  with  the  aged  darkey  he 
discovered  the  house  was  occupied  by  only  the  old  fellow 
and  his  wife.  A  series  of  questions  soon  convinced  Bill 
that  the  negro  was  loyal  at  heart  and  could  be  depended 
on  to  keep  a  secret. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  supper  was  prepared  by  the 
old  negro  woman,  consisting  of  genuine  hoe-cake  and 
crisply  fried  bacon,  and  the  meal  being  concluded  Bill 
interviewed  his  guests  regarding  the  condition  of  their 
part  of  the  country  and  the  location  of  Confederate 
forces.  He  was  pleased  to  learn  that  while  these  old 
people  appeared  extremely  ignorant  yet  they  had  been 
very  anxiously  observant  of  the  Confederate  and  Federal 
movements,  and  therefore  were  possessed  of  much  m~ 
formation  valuable  to  him. 

On  the  following  morning  Bill  arose  early  and  going 
out  to  a  stable  on  the  premises,  his  own  horse  having 
been  stabled  the  evening  previous  by  the  old  darkey,  he 
discovered  a  jackass  of  ancient  countenance  standing  in. 
that  reverential  and  resigned  position  which  only  an  ass 
can  assume  perfectly.  An  idea  of  great  consequence  im- 
mediately moved  Bill  to  return  to  the  house,  disclose  a 
part  of  his  purposes  to  the  sable  old  uncle,  change  his 
habit  of  dress,  and  make  a  goodly  provision  for  safely 
entering  the  Confederate  lines. 

Said  Bill  to  his  colored  host :  "  I  see,  uncle,  you  have 
a  jackass  in  the  stable,  does  he  belong  to  you?" 


LIFE   OF   WUJ>    BILL.  65 

"  Yes,  sah,"  responded  the  old  man,  "Fee  had  dat 
dare  animule  fo'de  last  ten  yeahs  ;  but  he's  gittin'  a  good 
deal  like  his  marster  now,  not  much  'count,  sah ;  but  I 
reckon  ef  he  hadn't  been  so  used  up  de  Confeds  would 
a  had  'im  afore  dis." 

"  Yes,"  said  Bill,  -'  I  guess  that  is  so ;  he  don't  look 
like  a  very  valuable  brute,  but  at  the  same  time  he  is  such 
a  curious  looking  specimen  that  I've  got  an  idea  he  would 
suit  me  for  a  purpose  I  now  have  in  view.  How  would 
you  like  to  trade  your  jack  for  my  horse?  " 

4 *  Well,  now,  dat  is  a  funny  propersishun  f oh' you  to 
make,  case  I  haint  got  nuffin'  to  give  you  to  boot." 

"  But  I  don't  want  any  boot ;  you  bring  out  the  jack 
and  let  my  horse  stay  in  the  stable,  if  that  kind  of  a  trade 
will  suit  you." 

"  Yah,  yah,  yah;  why,  marster,  you  doan  mean  dat, 
does  you?  Afore  God  dat  would  be  de  mos'  curiousest 
bargan  I'se  hearn  on;  why,  I  declaar  ef  the  Confeds 
would  see  dat  hoss  in  my  stable  dey'd  want  to  know  how 
I  got  'im  right  away,  and  I  guess  dey  would  take  me 
too  in  order  to  settle  de  title." 

"  I'll  tell  you  how  to  do  ;  if  anybody  wants  to  know 
anything  about  that  horse,  you  tell  them  that  he  is  a 
stray  that  you  have  taken  up,  and  that  you're  expecting 
the  owner  along  every  day." 

"Now,  if  you  is  a  foolin'  me  go  away,  but  ef  you  is 
in  yarnest,  why  dar  is  de  jack  and  I'll  try  and  keep  de 
hoss." 

"Well,  I'll  just  charge  you' one  thing  to  boot,  and 
that  is,  if  you  have  an  old  suit  of  clothes  about  the  house 
that  you  don't  care  to  use  much  longer,  I  will  take  them ; 
will  you  agree  to  that?" 

*' Yes,  sah,  I'll  call  de  old  woman  and  see  what  she's 
got  fcsskad  away  in  de  loft.  Nancy  I  oh,  Nancy  I"  yelled 


66  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

the  old  darkey.  Hearing  herself  called,  the  old  woman 
left  her  corn  cake  on  the  clapboard  before  the  fire,  and 
thrusting  her  bandana  covered  head  through  the  door, 
responded :  "  What  does  you  want,  Silas?"  "  Why,  I 
wants  you  to  look  on  de  peg  by  de  chimbley  and  get  me 
datdar  last  Sunday-suit  of  geans,  and  bring  it  hayer." 

The  clothes  were  brought  out  in  obedience  to  this  com- 
mand and  submitted  to  Bill  for  inspection.  There  was  a 
pair  of  pants  of  saffron  complexion,  with  a  respectable 
rent  in  the  left  knee ;  the  vest  was  an  indigo  blue  re- 
lieved by  cross  stripes  of  flaming  red,  and  the  coat  was 
made  with  due  regard  for  the  ground  color  of  the  vest, 
but  in  matter  of  ornamentation  the  coat  took  a  decided 
precedence,  for,  although  the  buttons  bore  a  diversified 
character,  they  were,  nevertheless,  genuine  brass  and 
large  enough  for  shields. 

The  clothes  fitted  Bill  quite  as  well  as  he  desired,  and 
with  a  bi£  hat  made  of  course  unbleached  straw  he  was 

o 

ready  with  his  patient  jackass  for  the  campaign.  He  had 
purposely  allowed  his  whiskers  to  grow  to  considerable 
length  and  his  hair  had  put  off  the  neatly  combed  polish 
by  which  he  was  so  well  known. 

Having  so  completely  disguised  his  usual  appearance 
Bill  felt  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  anyone  to  distin- 
guish him  in  a  crowd  of  corner-store  natives  ;  so,  setting 
out  mounted  on  his  novel  conveyance,  and  carrying  an 
old  shot-gun,  he  traveled  without  fear  of  detection  until 
he  reached  Pine  Bluff,  where  a  division  of  Van  Dorn's 
army  was  stationed.  After  looking  around  the  place  one 
day  he  went  up  to  head-quarters  and  offered  his  services 
as  a  private  in  the  Confederate  army.  Upon  presenting 
himself  to  a  recruiting  sergeant  that  official  could  not  re- 
frain from  laughing  heartily  at  the  astonishing  and 
grotesque  figure  standing  before  him. 


LIFE   OP  WILD   BILL. 


67 


"  Well,  sir,"  said  the  sergeant,  "  where  the  devil  did 
you  come  from  ? ' ' 

"  Oh,"  responded  Bill,  "I  got  a  little  cabin  up  herein 
the  Ozarks,  where  I've  been  livin'  in  a  patch  o'  clearin' 
with  this  here  jack  and  Bowlega  for  the  last  twenty 
year." 

"  Who  is  Bowlegs?  "  asked  the  sergeant. 

"  Why,  look  a  here,  mister,"  replied  Bill,  "  haven't  you 


Wild  Bill  in  Disguise. 

neve i  hearn  o'  Bowlegs,  the  greatest  wildcat  and  bar  kill- 
er in  the  whole  o'  Arkansaw?  Bowlegs  is  my  dog,  and 
ef  you'd  a  seed  him  two  months  ago  tackle  a  catamount, 
upon  huckleberry  hill,  bigger  'n  my  jack,  you'd  a  bet  the 
last  bristle  on  yer  back  that  he  could  whip  anything  that 
ever  wore  hair  or  straddled  the  Devil's  Backless*  •  7<ra 
see,  the  neighborhood  K*^  n^en  a  losin'  o'  pigs  an*  calfs 
for  a  long  tiro*}  ^h</agh  pigs  an'  calfs  is  a  scarce  article 
n»  ~» tka  hill,  an'"— 


68  HEROES    OF   THE  PLAINS. 

' '  Well,  never  mind  the  dog, ' '  growled  the  officer ;  *  *  w* 
haven't  time  now  to  hear  your  account  of  Bowlegs  ;  we'll 
take  for  granted  that  he  is  the  best  fighter  on  the  Devil's 
Backbone  (the  Ozark  range  of  mountains  is  sometimes 
thus  called),  but  we  want  men  now  that  can  fight  just 
like  your  dog.  Do  you  harbor  the  suspicion  that  you  can 
do  as  good  fighting  as  Bowlegs,  especially  if  we  should 
set  you  on  a  drove  of  Yankees?  " 

"  I  think  I  mought  make  a  full  hand  ef  you'll  fernish. 
me  with  the  amernition  ;  I  got  plenty  caps  jest  now,  but 
my  powder  an'  shot  is  kinder  run  low,"  replied  Bill. 

At  this  unsophisticated  remark  the  sergeant  and  all 
those  about  him  broke  out  in  an  almost  uncontrollable  fit 
of  laughter,  which  lasted  for  several  minutes  ;  but  during 
all  their  cachinations  Bill  stood  in  mute  astonishment,  as 
if  he  had  done  something  which  conclusively  established 
the  fact  that  he  was  the  most  stupendous  fool  on  earth. 

Recovering  himself  at  length,  the  sergeant  asked : 
"You  don't  suppose  our  soldiers  fight  with  shot-guns, 
and  such  weapons  as  that  you  have  in  your  hand,  do 
you?" 

Opening  his  eyes  in  apparent  wonder,  Bill  replied : 
"  On  course  I  do,  case  hain't  shot-guns  better  ner  squirrel 
rifles  by  a  durn'd sight?" 

The  conversation  finally  tenninated  by  the  enlistment 
of  Bill  and  the  appraisement  of  his  jackass,  everyone 
supposing  that  the  droll  ignorance  of  the  new  recruit 
would  furnish  a  constant  diversion  for  the  company  to 
which  he  should  be  assigned. 

After  some  weeks  were  spent  in  camp  the  division  was 
ordered  to  Pine  Bluff,  Bill  being  a  private  in  Co.  I,  under 
Capt.  Leverson.  Curtis,  leading  his  army  of  the  frontier, 
was  also  marching  in  the  direction  of  Duvall's  Bluff  with 
the  intention  of  cutting  off  and  destroying  the  Confederate 
supplies  collecting  at  that  point.. 


LIFE  OF  WILD   BILL.  69 

Before  reaching  the  Bluffs,  marching  overland,  the 
pnfederate  troops  were  reinforced  by  three  hundred 
men  who  had  been  reconnoitering  in  advance  of  Price. 
On  the  following  day  after  this  junction  was  made  a  cor- 
poral who  had  been  with  Price  in  the  engagement  near 
Perryville  and  was  a  witness  to  the  famous  ride  made  by 
Bill  and  Nat.  Tucket,  being  attracted  "by  the  assumed 
eccentricities  of  the  spy,  finally  discovered,  under  all  his 
cunning  disguise,  the  daring  Wild  Bill,  whose  name  was 
on  the  lips  of  every  Confederate  in  Missouri  and  Arkan- 
sas. The  corporal  lost  no  time  in  reporting  his  discov- 
ery, and  in  a  trice  a  detail  of  twelve  men  dropped  their 
loaded  guns  and  covered  the  body  of  Bill  so  effectually 
that  any  attempt  at  escape  would  have  resulted  in  certain 
death.  A  court-martial  was  at  once  organized  and  the 
spy  placed  on  trial.  His  conviction  was  secured  in  an 
hour's  time  and  he  was  sentenced  to  be  shot  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning. 

In  a  memorandum  Bill  made  concerning  this  event  he 
says  :  < '  The  Rebs  convicted  me  on  mighty  little  evidence, 
and  here  I  am  now  in  a  bad  pickle ;  it  may  be  that 
they  will  shoot  me  to-morrow,  but  somehow  I  feel  that 
some  means  of  escape  will  offer.  Curtis  must  be  very- 
near,  for  he  has  been  reported,  in  camp,  as  coming  like 
the  devil  beating  bark,  on  a  straight  trail  for  the  Bluffs. 
Something  tells  me  that  I  will  get  out  of  this,  and  this 
feeling  gives  me  nerve.  I'll  keep  a  lookout  and  see 
what's  what."  How  this  entry  was  made  in  his  journal, 
while  he  was  under  a  close  guard,  is  not  explained,  but  it 
is  probable  that  he  wrote  it  after  his  escape  to  indicate 
his  feelings  while  under  conviction,  when  the  chances  of 
escape  were  least  favorable. 

Immediately  after  the  trial  was  concluded — it  being 
held  in  the  evening  while  the  division  was  encamped, — 


70  HEROES   OP   THE   PLAINS. 

Bill  was  removed  to  a  small  log  hut,  and  to  prevent  the 
possibility  of  escape,  as  Van  Dorn  assumed,  his  arms 
were  securely  pinioned  and  a  guard  set  over  him  to  watch 
every  movement. 

About  midnight  a  dreadful  storm  of  wind  and  rain 
began,  which  raged  with  great  violence  until  morning. 
Bill's  guard  being  very  much  fatigued,  owing  to  the  long 
march  during  the  day,  and  trusting  too  much  in  his  ability 
to  rouse  himself  at  the  slightest  movement  made  by  the 
prisoner,  sat  down  beside  the  closed  door  and  gradually 
dozed  off  to  sleep.  Bill,  having  his  hands  strongly  tied, 
saw  how  easily  he  could  escape  had  the  gyves  about 
his  wrists  been  a  little  less  tightly  drawn  ;  but  every  twist 
of  his  hands  only  served  to  break  the  skin  under  the 
unyielding  thongs.  This  painful  suspense  and  lapsing 
opportunity  continued  until  nearly  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  golden  fortune,  who  always  gives  her 
hand  to  the  brave  in  their  last  extremity,  disclosed  to  his 
sight  the  very  slightly  protruding  handle  of  an  old  case- 
knife,  the  blade  of  which  was  hidden  in  the  depths  of  an 
auger-hole.  Most  glorious  vision !  the  bright  portal  of 
life  !  the  realms  of  beatific  possibility ;  aye,  the  smoothe 
pathway  leading  from  the  black  shadows  of  death  out 
into  the  gorgeous  light  of  salvation  I  How  precious  must 
have  appeared  that  old,  worn-out,  rusted,  broken  piece  of 
steel !  to  the  condemned  spy  it  was  worth  more  than  all 
the  castles  of  polished  ivory  that  the  fabled  Arabian  Magi 
could  have  created,  "  for  what  will  a  man  not  give  to  save 
his  own  life?" 

Stealthily  creeping  from  the  corner  in  which  he  waa 
seated,  Bill  drew  himself  by  inches  toward  the  old  knife, 
while  the  beating  of  his  heart  sounded  to  him  like  the  long 
roll  call.  Gradually  he  grew  nearer  and  nearer,  until  at 
last,  crouching  for  a  moment,  he  arose  with  his  back 


WFE   OF  WJLD   BELL.  71 

against  the  log  walls  and  seized  the  rusty  handle  in  his 
pinioned  hands.  But  still  he  was  not  free ;  unable  to 
make  much  available  use  of  his  hands,  he  withdrew  the 
knife  and  then  pushed  the  handle  into  the  auger-hole, 
leaving  a  small  part  of  the  blade  out ;  he  then  began  rub- 
bing the  ropes  between  his  wrists  across  the  dull  and 
rusted  blade,  until  after  what  seemed  to  him  an  age  of 


Wild  Bill  Surprises  the  Sleepy  Sentinel. 

hard  labor  he  felt  the  cords  loosen  ;  they  were  cut  and  he 
was  now  a  man  with  all  the  vigor  God  had  so  bounteously 
lodged  in  his  well  developed  sinews. 

Bill  did  not  wait  long  after  cleaving  the  ropes  which 
bound  his  hands,  to  put  into  execution  one  of  those  bold 
and  desperate  methods  which  serve  to  make  his  name  im- 


72  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

perishable.  Taking  the  old  case-knife  in  his  right  hand, 
he  sprang  upon  the  slumbering  guard  and  in  an  instant 
the  rusted  blade  was  thrust  into  the  throat  of  the  sleeping 
victim  and  his  neck  almost  severed  in  twain.  Not  a  word 
escaped  from  the  unconscious  sentinel  as  the  rusty  knife 
flashed  across  his  throat  and  let  out  the  life-blood.  Bill 
quickly  stripped  the  dead  guard  of  coat  and  hat,  and 
placing  them  upon  himself,  with  musket  in  hand,  he 
stealthily  left  the  log  house  and  by  aid  of  the  darkness 
made  good  his  escape,  gaining  Curtis'  army  on  the  fok 
lowing  day. 

This  really  marvelous  escape  from  death  impressed 
every  one  acquainted  with  the  circumstances,  with  the 
extraordinary  good  luck  and  strategy  which  seemed  never 
to  forsake  Wild  Bill,  but  this  impression  was  specially 
conspicuous  among  Van  Dom's  men,  many  of  whom,  be- 
ing almost  as  ignorant  as  Bill  had  professed  to  be  in 
joining  the  Confederate  forces,  honestly  believed  he  was 
leagued  with  the  devil  and  that  he  could  not  be  killed. 


CHAPTER  V. 

AFTER  fin  ding  himself  secure  in  the  Federal  lines  again, 
Bill  immediately  called  on  Gen.  Curtis  and  imparted  a 
great  deal  of  useful  information  which  resulted  in  much 
advantage  to  the  Union  forces,  for  the  army  moved  at 
once  and  intercepted  Van  Dorn  before  he  reached  Du- 
vall's  Bluff.  Here  a  hot  battle  was  fought  in  which  the 
Confederates  were  routed,  a  large  amount  of  their  stores 
captured,  and  the  supply  post  occupied  by  the  victorious 
Federals.  But  Bill  positively  refused  to  enter  the  ene- 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  73 

my's  lines  again,  because  he  was  now  so  well  known  in 
the  Confederate  army  operating  west  of  the  Mississippi 
that  to  make  another  such  attempt  would  be  subjecting 
himself  to  almost  certain  death.  He  continued  scouting, 
however,  for  some  time  afterward,  and  frequently  went 
in  the  guise  of  a  Confederate  officer  hi  order  to  secure 
the  confidence  of  southern  sympathizers,  from  whom 
much  useful  knowledge  concerning  the  movements  of 
Confederate  troops  was  from  time  to  time  obtained. 

In  1864  Price  made  his  second  invasion  into  Missouri 
and  Gen.  Daviess  was  ordered  to  harass  his  rear  until 
Curtis  could  return  and  reorganize  a  second  campaign 
against  the  invaders.  Southern  Missouri  had  become  the 
camping  ground  of  Confederate  detachments,  and  to 
operate  against  these  bands  Gen.  Daviess  established  his 
headquarters  at  Holla.  Wild  Bill,  being  well  acquainted 
in  Rolla,  visited  that  place  in  the  summer  of  1864  and  re- 
ported to  headquarters  for  a  commission  to  scout  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  State.  Daviess  was  glad  to  secure 
his  services,  for  several  of  the  adjacent  counties  were 
seriously  infested  with  independent  bushwhackers  claim- 
ing authority  for  their  acts  under  Confederate  commis- 
sions. 

While  the  camp  was  quietly  waiting  for  Curtis  to  re- 
port from  some  point  in  Missouri  where  a  junction  might 
be  formed,  on  the  25th  of  July  Bill  mounted  his  horse 
and  without  acquainting  any  one  with  his  purpose,  re- 
solved to  make  a  private  expedition  through  the  southern 
part  of  Phelps  county.  He  accordingly  set  out  unaccom- 
panied and  rode  directly  south,  passing  by  Pilot  Knob 
and  through  Elk  prairie,  meeting  no  one  and  finding  no 
evidence  of  hostile  occupation.  Near  the  post  village  of 
Lake  Spring,  in  the  timber  skirting  a  tributary  of  the 
Meramec  river,  however,  he  suddenly  came  ttpon  three 


74  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

men  well  mounted  and  carrying  carbines,  wit),  pistols  in 
their  outside  belts.  The  trio,  without  proceeding  by  in- 
terrogatories to  learn  anything  about  Bill,  commanded 
him  to  dismount,  accompanying  the  order  with  a  threat  to 
shoot  him  if  he  delayed  an  instant.  Without  attempting 
any  parley  or  considering  the  odds  against  him,  Bill 
threw  up  his  pistol,  which  he  had  in  his  right  hand  hang- 
ing  on  the  off  side  of  his  horse,  out  of  sight,  and  almost 
in  the  glance  of  an  eye,  he  shot  the  three  with  such  pre- 
cision that  each  tumbled  to  the  ground  with  a  mortal 
wound.  One  of  the  bushwhackers,  however,  while  in 
the  throes  of  death,  summoned  enough  strength  to  raise 
on  his  elbow  and  fire  at  Bill,  the  bullet  striking  his  sad- 
dle bow  but  doing  him  no  personal  injury. 

The  three  now  riderless  horses,  frightened  by  the  fir- 
ing, ran  away,  but  fortunately  all  kept  close  together. 
Bill  went  at  once  in  pursuit  of  the  animals,  one  of  which 
was  a  beautiful  little  black  mare  which  he  was  specially 
anxious  to  possess.  The  chase  continued  for  nearly  six 
hours  before  Bill  succeeded  in  capturing  the  three  horses, 
but  as  they  were  running  in  the  direction  of  Rolla,  no 
time  was  lost.  Tying  the  heads  of  the  animals  together 
he  led  them  back  to  camp  as  prizes  of  war,  making  due 
report  to  his  commanding  officer. 

Gen.  Daviess,  not  having  been  made  acquainted  with 
Bill's  expedition,  was  at  a  loss  to  determine  what  had  be- 
come of  him,  when  suddenly  witnessing  his  re-appear- 
ance Trith  three  horses,  he  at  once  concluded  that  Bill 
had  been  engaged  in  making  reprisals  from  non-belliger- 
ents. 

Assuming  a  stern  look  the  General  enquired  of  him  : 
"You  have  been  out  of  camp  for  four  days  without 
leave ;  where  have  you  been  operating,  and  where  did 
you  get  those  horses?" 


LIFE   OF  WILD  BILL.  75 

Bill  looked  for  a  moment  steadily  at  the  General,  whose 
gaze,  instead  of  relaxing,  bore  sterner  evidence  of  his  be- 
lief that  the  horses  had  been  stolen.  Feeling  keenly  the 
suspicion,  Bill  answered  in  an  imperious  manner,  "I'm 
not  a  private  soldier,  and  as  a  scout  I  go  where  I  please. 
The  horses  have  been  turned  over  to  you,  therefore  I 
must  say  it's  none  of  your  d — d  business  where  I  got 
them." 

This  insubordinate  attitude  and  insulting  language 
threw  Gen.  Daviess  into  a  violent  fit  of  anger,  and  in- 
tending some  severe  punishment  he  ordered  Bill's  arrest 
and  confinement  in  the  guard  house.  The  command 
was  promptly  obeyed  and  the  cavalier  scout  was  hur- 
riedly conveyed  to  prison.  On  the  same  evening,  about 
nine  o'clock,  as  the  General  was  riding  around  the 
poet  he  was  astonished  at  seeing  Bill  salute  him  from 
the  sidewalk.  Without  saying  a  word  to  the  mys- 
teriously liberated  scout  he  rode  directly  to  the  guard 
house  and  in  a  thundering  tone  demanded  of  the  guards 
why  Will  Bill  had  been  permitted  to  escape.  His  aston- 
ishment greatly  increased,  however,  when  they  assured 
the  General  that  Bill  was  in  the  guard  house  ;  but  an  ex- 
amination soon  showed  that  they  had  been  cleverly 
deceived ;  for  it  was  soon  discovered  that  one  of  the 
other  prisoners,  whose  term  of  service  expired  that  even- 
ing, had  changed  clothes  with  Bill  and  himself  remained 
in  durance  in  order  to  give  the  popular  scout  his  liberty. 

This  devoted  comradeship  so  affected  Gen.  Daviess 
that  he  at  once  pardoned  the  man  who  had  contrived 
Bill's  escape,  and  ordering  both  men  to  be  sent  to  his 
headquarters,  he  repaired  there  himself  to  give  them 
an  unexpected  greeting. 

When  Bill  and  his  devoted  friend  entered  the  General's 
office  they  were  received  with  the  greatest  cordiality  and 


76  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINTS. 

invited  to  fill  up  on  some  extra  cogniac  used  by  the  Gen- 
eral only  on  special  occasions.  After  speaking  in  the 
most  feeling  manner  of  the  value  of  true  comradeship, 
and  complimenting  the  friendship  which  prompted  one  of 
his  guests  to  sacrifice  his  own  liberty  to  secure  that  of  the 
other,  the  General  turned  to  Bill  and  in  a  courteous  and 
deferential  manner  asked  him  to  relate  the  adventure  by 
which  he  had  come  into  possession  of  the  horses.  First 
excusing  his  hasty  and  insubordinate  reply  made  during 
the  day,  Bill  told  the  General  all  the  circumstances  of  his 
private  expedition,  and  in  proof  of  his  assertion  he  asked 
Gen.  Daviess  to  send  a  party  of  men  with  him  back  to 
the  spot  where  the  fight  took  place,  agreeing  to  produce 
the  bodies  of  his  victims.  Accordingly  on  the  following 
day  a  detail  of  his  men  accompanied  Bill  back  to  the 
banks  of  the  Meramac  tributary  where  the  bodies  of  the 
three  bushwhackers  were  found  and  properly  buried. 

After  the  events  here  recorded  Gen.  Daviess  became 
one  of  Bill's  warmest  friends,  and  had  many  other  proofs 
of  his  great  valor  and  services  before  the  campaign  of 
1864  closed. 

The  little  black  mare  captured  from  the  bushwhackers, 
by  BilPs  urgent  request,  he  was  permitted  to  retain,  and 
this  animal  afterward  became  one  of  the  most  famous 
horses  ever  bred  in  America.  Being  black  as  a  raven, 
with  limbs  rounded  with  all  the  beautiful  symmetry  seen 
in  the  choicest  blooded  animals,  she  would  attract  marked 
attention  among  all  the  horses  of  the  world.  Bill  gave 
her  the  name  of  Black  Nell,  and  giving  much  care  to  her 
training,  she  "became  the  heroine;  of  many  adventures, 
which  will  be  recorded  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

Early  in  January,  1865,  Gen.  Curtis,  having  again 
driven  Price  and  Shelby  out  of  Missouri,  established  his 
headquarters  at  Fort  Lestvenworth,  where  he  oould  more 


LIFE   OF   WILD  BILL.  U 

readily  observe  the  movements  of  guerrillas  who  contin- 
ued harassing  convoys,  couriers  and  weak  posts  in  eas\ 
ern  Kansas  and  western  Missouri.     Wild  Bill  remained 
in  the  service  as  chief  of  scouts,  but  he  was  employed  a 
greater  part  of  the  time  in  Missouri . 

in  February,  Man-to-yu-kee  (Conquering  Bear),  one 
«f  the  sub-chiefs  of  the  Sioux  Indians,  a  friendly  tribe 


Man-to-yu-kee  (Conquering  Bear*) 

under  the  command  of  Gen.  Jim  Lane,  came  into  Fort 
Leavenworth  and  reported  to  Gen,  Curtis  the  encamp* 
ment  of  five  hundred  Choctaw  warriors  ten  miles  west  of 
Lawrence,  on  the  Kaw  river.  The  Choctaw  and  Cherokee 
Indians,  also  some  of  the  Creeks  and  Osages,  were 
employed  as  soldiers  by  the  Confederates,  and  although 
they  performed  very  little  service,  yet  the  entire  country, 


78  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

especially  eastern  Kansas,  was  dreadfully  excited  over  an 
anticipated  Indian  massacre  of  whites.  Consequently, 
when  Conquering  Beai  became  the  messenger  of  such 
news,  reporting  the  fierce  Choctaws  in  such  close  prox- 
imity, there  was  no  little  apprehension  created  even  in 
the  mind  of  the  gallant  Curtis. 

Sending  for  Wild  Bill,  whose  acquaintance  with  the 
Indian  character  was  thorough,  Curtis  recited  the  facts 
as  reported  by  Conquering  Bear,  and  then  asked  him 
what  course  of  action  he  would  advise. 

The  reply  was  fully  characteristic  of  the  man's  readi- 
ness to  brave  any  danger  where  his  services  might  prove 
of  value.  Said  Bill: 

"  The  Indian  is  a  mighty  uncertain  animal,  and  those 
that  profess  the  greatest  friendship  are  very  frequently 
the  most  deadly  enemies.  I'll  tell  you  my  idea :  You 
send  me  back  to  the  Sioux  camp  with  this  chief,  and 
before  I  return,  you  can  depend  on  it  I  will  know  how 
many  Choctaws  are  near  Lawrence  and  what  they  are  up 
to.  If  I'm  not  back  here  in  four  days,  just  put  it  down 
that  I've  dropped  my  scalp." 

Curtis  replied  :  *  *  It  looks  to  me  as  though  such  a  trip 
would  be  very  hazardous  if  the  hostile  Indians  are  really 
near  Lawrence,  unless  you  should  take  one  or  two  hun- 
dred men  with  you." 

"  I  don't  want  any  one  with  me,"  answered  Bill,  "  ex- 
cept Conquering  Bear,  and  if  he  deceives  me  or  is  trying 
to  lay  some  devilish  trap,  then  one  of  us  will  lift  the 
other's  hair.  No,  I  will  only  take  Black  Nell,  and  am 
prepared  to  leave  here  for  the  Indian  camp  early  to-morrow 
morning." 

"  Well,"  responded  Curtis,  4<  if  you  think  it  possible 
to  penetrate  the  Indian  c'amp,  or  learn  the  exact  location 
and  intention  of  the  Choctaws,  I  think  the  importance 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  79 

of  learning  these  facts  warrant  me  in  sending  you ;  there* 
fore,  whatever  you  may  require  it  shall  be  provided,  and 
I  can  only  hope  for  your  safe  return." 

Bill  sent  for  the  Indian  chief,  and  after  acquainting 
him  with  Gen.  Curtis'  desire,  said :  "  I  shall  go  with  you 
directly  to  your  people,  and  then  I  shall  expect  you  to 
guide  me  to  the  hostile  camp  ;  but  remember,  if  you  de- 
ceive me  in  the  least  thing,  one  of  us  will  have  to  die." 

The  Indian  made  many  assuring  promises  that  his  loy- 
alty to  the  Union  and  enmity  to  the  Choctaws  alone 
prompted  his  desire  to  lead  the  Federal  troops  into  the 
enemy's  camp. 

On  the  following  day,  pursuant  to  the  arrangements, 
Wild  Bill  and  the  Indian  started  for  Lawrence,  which 
place  they  reached  the  same  evening,  and  shortly  after- 
ward went  through  the  Sioux  camp.  Leaving  there  after 
night,  the  two  proceeded  westward  until  suddenly,  in  the 
darkness,  Conquering  Bear  gave  a  singular  whoop,  and, 
hiding  quickly  in  the  bushes,  left  Bill  surrounded  by  a 
band  of  Choctaws.  The  treachery  of  the  Sioux  chief  was 
now  plainly  apparent,  and  Bill  saw  that  he  had  been  pur- 
posely led  inside  the  hostile  pickets.  The  Indians  rushed 
out  from  every  side,  but  the  darkness  was  so  profound  that 
Bill  was  screened  from  his  enemies,  three  of  whom  he  killed 
when  they  came  too  close.  His  little  black  mare,  with 
the  intelligence  of  a  scout  herself,  was  so  obedient  that 
by  a  tap  of  the  hand  she  lay  down  or  ran  from  covert  to 
covert  as  Bill  desired.  The  Indians,  in  the  meantime, 
ran  upon  one  another  in  the  darkness,  being  unable  to 
locate  their  would-be  victim,  and  by  a  series  of  strategies, 
such  as  giving  the  Indian  whoop  and  other  signals  which 
Bill  well  knew,  he  managed  to  elude  the  Choctaws,  and 
finally  escaped  without  receiving  the  least  injury. 

After  an  absence  of  nearly  four  days  Bill  returned  to 
Fort  Leavenworth  and  made  due  report  to  Gen,  Curtis 


80  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

of  the  circumstances  of  his  trip,  and  thereupon  asked  for 
a  leave  of  absence  for  one  week.  His  request  being 
granted,  Bill  went  directly  to  Lawrence  and  began  active 
endeavors  looking  to  a  personal  meeting  with  Conquering 
Bear.  Being  well  acquainted  with  the  language  and  pe- 
culiarities of  the  Sioux,  Bill  soon  found  opportunity  for 
eating  his  revenge.  A  young  warrior  from  the  tribe  be- 
ing seen  walking  the  streets  of  Lawrence,  Bill  approached 
him  cleverly  and  by  a  liberal  treatment  to  whisk;"  and 
gew-gaws  soon  gained  his  confidence  and  friendship. 
Through  this  intermediary  Bill  was  not  long  in  reaching 
Conquering  Bear,  who,  through  promises  of  a  secret  re- 
ward awaiting  him  at  a  spot  three  miles  east  of  the  town, 
was  easily  allured  to  a  sequestered  place  unaccompanied 
except  by  the  young  fellow  who  had  faithfully  followed 
Bill's  instructions. 

The  two  Indians  were  proceeding  slowly  as  if  expect- 
ing to  meet  with  some  persons  bearing  rich  rewards,  when 
suddenly  Bill  rose  out  of  his  hiding  place  and  confronted 
the  dusky  traitor,,  For  a  moment  they  stood  perfectly 
still,  eyeing  each  other,  one  filled  with  fear,  the  other 
with  desire  for  revenge.  Drawing  from  his  belt  two  pis- 
tols Bill  threw  cue  to  Conquering  Bear  and  told  him  to 
defend  himself ;  but  the  Indian  knew  the  deadly  aim  of 
his  antagonist  And  refused  to  fight  with  the  pistol.  Bill 
then  told  him  he  had  either  to  fight  or  suffer  the  death 
of  the  dog  he1  was.  Conquering  Bear  tried  to  parley,  but 
being  forced  to  accept  immediate  terms  for  a  fight,  he  &i 
length  chos^  the  knife,  the  long,  keen-pointed  bowie,, 
with  a  bladl  two  inches  in  width  and  an  edge  sharp  as 
death's  via£ge.  Men  on  the  border  invariably  carry  this 
desperate  Veapon,  and  Conquering  Bear  was  an  expert  in 
its  use,  but  not  more  proficient  than  was  Bill ;  each  could 
throw  the  b!*de  through  the  body  af  a 


LIFE   OF   WILD    BILL.  81 

at  the  distance  of  ten  paces,  and  in  the  manual  exercis* 
with  a  bowie  they  were  truly  professional. 

Bill  quickly  accepted  the  terms  proposed  by  the  Indian 
and  in  a  cool  and  calculating  manner  selected  a  level 
spot  and  then  instructed  the  Indian  youth  to  prepare  it 
for  the  duel.  This  he  did  by  kicking  off  the  leaves  and 
twigs  and  drawing  a  circle  ten  feet  in  diameter  in  which 
the  contestants  were  to  meet  each  other.  The  arrange- 
ments having  been  perfected,  Bill  stepped  inside  the  cir- 
cle and  called  to  Conquering  Bear,  but  the  Indian  acting 
as  though  fear  had  transfixed  him,  stood  motionless  until 
Bill  threatened  to  shoot  him  dead  in  his  tracks  if  he  did 
not  engage  in  eonibiJt  at  once.  This  threat  aroused  him, 
and  with  a  lithesome  spring  he  leaped  inside  the  imagin- 
ary enclosure,  his  great  knife  gleaming  in  his  right  hand, 
which  was  raised  to  a  level  with  his  face.  The  two  mor- 
tal enemies  as  they  stood  for  a  moment  calculating  the 
opportunities  for  a  first  deadly  thrust,  were  objects  of 
really  magnificent  terror.  Such  beauty  of  physical  pro- 
portions and  such  an  exhibition  of  marvellous  courage 
were  doubtless  never  before  witnessed  in  a  personal  com- 
bat as,  with  breasts  bared  to  the  steel,  the  two  antago- 
nists glared  at  each  other  a  moment  before  commencing 
the  deadly  onset.  Bill  was  the  first  to  make  a  motion, 
stepping  forward  quickly  one  pace  and  delivering  a  feint ; 
the  Indian  drew  back,  but  partly  stooped  as  if  to  make  a 
rush,  then  like  two  enraged  lions  they  sprang  at  each 
other,  meeting  in  the  center  of  the  ring,  and  catching  the 
points  of  their  knives  they  remained  clashed  together  for 
several  minutes.  There  now  succeeded  a  violent  strug- 
gle, their  dreadful  weapons  remaining  edge  to  edge, 
while  the  left  hand  of  each  was  around  the  other's  body, 
every  muscle  standing  out  in  great  ridges,  evidencing  the 
terrible  strain  produced  by  the  efforts  of  each  to  throw 


82  HEROES    OF   THE   FLAWS. 

or  disadvantage  the  other.  Like  two  fighting  bull-dogs 
when  both  secure  a  strong  hold,  clinging  tenaciously  un- 
til  exhaustion  forces  a  relinquishment  of  the  grasp ;  it 
was  thus  that  Bill  and  his  antagonist  clung  to  each  other 
until  tired  nature  caused  a  separation.  Their  eyes,  how. 
ever,  kept  faithful  watch  during  a  brief  respite  in  the 
encounter. 

After  a  lapse  of  fully  ten  minutes  the  Indian,  having 
recovered  from  his 'first  fright,  was  the  first  to  advance 
for  a  re-engagement,  but  Bill  showed  equal  anxiety  to 
begin  the  desperate  work,  and  both  being  intensely  en- 
raged the  second  encounter  produced  frightful  results. 
They  came  together  with  terrific  force,  but  with  marveU 
lous  dexterity  each  expert  caught  the  knife  of  the  other 
on  the  edge  of  their  respective  weapons.  But  they  did 
not  clinch  this  time,  vor  they  now  foresaw  only  ex- 
haustion in  such  tactics  which  might  permit  an  almost 
resistless  execution  of  the  one  of  the  least  endurance, 
each  doubting  his  own  superiority.  A  few  moments 
were  spent  in  feints,  change  of  positions,  backing  and 
advancing  until  conceiving  his  opportunity.  Bill  gave  a 
terrible  thrust  at  the  Indian's  heart,  but  a  buckle  on  the 
swarthy  warrior's  breast  diverted  the  blow  from  its  pur- 
pose ;  the  knife  was  deflected  slightly  after  striking,  but 
went  downward  with  such  force  that  it  cut  through  the 
Indian's  jacket  and  opened  a  fearful  gash,  several  inches 
in  length,  in  his  side,  from  which  the  blood  gushed  in  tor- 
rents. But  in  giving  his  enemy  this  dreadful  wound  Bill 
did  not  escape  without  serious  injury.  Seeing  the  thrust 
made,  the  Indian  struck  hard  at  Bill's  heart,  but  the 
knife  was  caught  in  the  scout's  left  arm  and  struck  to 
the  bone  near  the  shoulder  point  and  stripped  the  flesh 
half  way  to  his  elbow.  From  these  two  wounds  the 
ground  soon  became  covered  with  blood,  and  yet  the  fight 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL.  85 

continued  while  the  strength  of  each  flowed  rapidly 
away.  The  Indian  grew  weak  very  fast  now,  and  realiz- 
ing that  if  victory  came  to  him  it  must  be  through  an 
effort  speedily  made,  he  thrust  at  Bill  with  great  violence 
and  precision,  but  the  dextrous  scout  skillfully  parried 
the  effort  and  the  next  instant  his  knife  went  through  the 
neck  of  Conquering  Bear,  splitting  through  the  tendons, 
and  cutting  the  jugular  vein.  With  a  convulsive  twinge 
of  the  body  and  straightening  of  the  right  arm  the  In- 
dian fell  forward,  burying  his  tightly  clutched  knife  in 
the  ground  to  the  hilt. 

The  young  Indian  who  had  remained  a  horrified  spec- 
tator of  this  most  terrible  of  all  personal  conflicts,  seeing 
the  chief  fall  dead  went  up  to  Bill  at  once  and  bandaged 
his  wounded  arm,  so  that  the  flow  of  blood  was  partly 
stopped.  Bill  returned  to  Lawrence  and  on  the  same 
day  left  for  Kansas  City,  where  he  placed  himself  in 
charge  of  his  old  physician  and  friend,  Dr.  Joshua 
Thorne.  But  the  wound  was  an  obstinate  one,  and 
caused  him  pain  and  annoyance  for  years  afterward. 

This  memorable  battle  was  fought  on  the  22d  day  of 
January,  1865.  The  object  of  Conquering  Bear's 
treachery  in  trying  to  compass  the  death  of  Wild  Bill, 
was,  no  doubt,  to  obtain  a  reward  that  had  been  offered 
by  some  of  Bill's  enemies  to  accomplish  their  cowardly 
purposes.  These  rewards  were  very  frequent  immedi- 
ately after  the  close  of  the  war,  some  of  which  and  the 
circumstances  under  which  they  were  offered,  will  be 
described  in  subsequent  chapters. 

The  Indian  boy  who  had  served  Bill  in  this  matter  was 
duly  recompensed ;  in  addition  to  a  liberal  receipt  of 
money,  Bill  took  him  to  Kansas  City,  gave  him  many 
advantages  and  finally  went  back  with  him  to  the  Sioux, 
upon  the  Niobrara  river,  where  their  reservation  lay. 


HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AFTER  the  close  of  the  civil  war,  Wild  Bill  decided  to 
quit  the  States  for  a  while  and  pass  a  season  on  the  Nio^ 
brara  trapping  for  beaver  and  otter.  He  was  encouraged 
in  this  decision  by  the  young  Indian  who  had  aided  him 
so  materially  in  satisfying  his  vengeance  against  Con- 
quering Bear.  This  young  buck  whom  Bill,  in  his 
diary,  calls  Joe,  had  returned  with  his  tribe,  after  the 
close  of  their  operations  along  the  Kaw  river,  to  their  res- 
ervation in  Nebraska,  and  had  frequently  begged  Bill  to 
pass  a  season  with  him  on  the  Mobrara.  After  the  kill- 
ing of  Man-to-yu-kee,  the  Sioux  entertained  a  very  ex- 
alted opinion  of  Bill,  particularly  because  the  dead  chief 
had  been  exceedingly  unpopular  among  hi?  own  people. 
These  several  circumstances,  added  to  which  game  for 
the  trap  was  reported  as  being  abundant  on  the  Mobrara, 
which  ran  through  the  Sioux  reservation,  influenced  Bill 
to  depart  for  that  country  in  the  fall  of  1865. 

Among  the  Sioux  was  a  sister  of  Indian  Joe,  named 
Mary  Logan,  whom  Bill  declares  was  a  direct  descendant 
of  the  great  chief  of  that  name,  though  there  was  a 
goodly  amount  of  white  blood  in  her  veins.  This  girl 
was  about  eighteen  years  of  age  when  Bill  first  became  • 
acquainted  with  her,  and  he  rarely  mentioned  her  with- 
out going  into  raptures  over  her  beauty. 

Within  a  few  days  after  he  first  met  Mary  Logan  he 
could  not  avoid  observing  the  love  which  was  lighted  in 
her  heart ;  she  lingered  about  him  as  though  influenced 
by  some  magnetic  or  mesmeric  force  ;  hungered  for  the 
honey  of  his  words  and  her  eyes  bespoke  the  admiration 
in  which  she  held  him.  Her  bounteous  hospitality  and 
persuasive  words,  together  with  the  persistent  solicitations 


LIFE   OF   WILD    BILL.  87 

of  her  brother  Joe,  finally  induced  Bill  to  make  her  home 
his  own  during  the  season.  This  home  was  only  a  little 
log  cabin  containing  a  single  room,  with  a  large  fire- 
place, before  which  hung,  almost  constantly,  many 
pieces  of  jerked  venison,  antelope  and  buffalo  meat.  It 
was  not  such  a  place  as  love  usually  selects  to  build  her 
bowers,  but  this  Indian  maiden  admired  the  white  face, 
and  more  especially  the  comely,  symmetrical  features  of 
Wild  Bill,  whose  fame  as  the  most  daring  of  Western 
heroes,  had  been  disseminated  among  every  Indian  tribe 
west  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

Being  unable  at  last  to  endure  his  absence,  Mary  Lo- 
gan begged  Bill  to  allow  her  to  accompany  him  on  his 
rounds  in  examining  his  traps,  and  to  be  with  him  on  his 
frequent  hunts,  a  privilege  which  he  gladly  permitted,  for 
the  girl  was  very  handsome,  excellent  company,  and  so 
devoted  to  him  that  her  constant  care  was  for  his  happi- 
ness. 

The  cabin  in  which  the  Logans  and  Wild  Bill  lived, 
was  so  circumscribed  in  its  limits  that  the  single  room 
was  made  to  subserve  all  the  purposes  of  an  Indian  fam- 
ily, which  are,  of  course,  but  few.  This  intimate  com- 
panionship continued  for  a  period  of  six  months,  during 
which  time  Bill  had  taught  the  girl  how  to  read  and 
write,  indifferently  but  yet  intelligibly.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  truly  remarkable  intimacy,  in  many  particulars 
equally  close  as  the  most  devoted  man  and  wife,  Bill 
always  declared  that  the  girl  never  lost  her  virtue,  that 
her  honesty  was  almost  phenomenal,  for  she  would 
readily  have  sacrificed  her  life  rather  than  have  forfeited 
the  jewel  of  her  chastity.  There  is  something  in  this 
poor  Indian  girl's,  character  which  is  pathetically  beauti- 
ful ;  an  uncultivated  bud  in  the  great  garden  of  God's 
diversified  creation ;  reared  in  her  own  simplicity  and 


88  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

protected  by  no  words  of  wise  counsel  or  warning,  noth- 
ing but  the  shield  of  her  innate  innocence.  Her  love  was 
pure  as  the  fountain  at  its  source,  as  sweet  as  the  nectar 
of  heaven's  own  distillation,  as  coy  and  confiding  as  the 
soul  that  gives  itself  into  the  keeping  of  a  loved  one. 

The  trapping  season  having  closed  and  spring  time 
drawing  on  apace,  Wild  Bill  bade  his  prairie  maiden 
adieu  and  returned  to  Missouri ,  but  before  proceeding  to 
a  description  of  his  subsequent  adventures  it  is  interest- 
ing to  follow  the  now  despondent  Indian  girl,  for  her  life 
took  on  many  grievous  vicissitudes  after  her  parting  from 
her  white  lover,  who  was  the  ideal  of  noble  manhood  in 
her  estimation. 

In  the  succeeding  fall  (1866)  a  fellow  named  Rogers, 
from  St.  Louis,  found  Mary  Logan  among  her  people, 
still  on  the  Niobrara,  and  being  captivated  by  her  beau- 
tiful face  and  figure  proposed  marriage,  which  she  ac- 
cepted, not  because  his  affection  was  reciprocated,  but 
solely  because  he  promised  to  take  her  with  him  to  St. 
Louis  where  they  would  make  their  home.  The  poor 
girl  had  never  ceased  grieving  for  Wild  Bill  and  she  be- 
lieved that,  living  in  Missouri,  whither  she  knew  he  had 
gone,  she  would  find  opportunities  to  see  him  often. 
Mary  Logan  therefore  sacrificed  her  maidenhood  and 
went  to  the  States  as  Mrs.  Rogers. 

By  singular  coincidence  very  soon  after  reaching  St. 
Louis  she  did  meet  Wild  Bill  in  one  of  the  numerous 
parks  of  that  city,  and  in  the  meeting  her  joy  was  bound- 
less. When  he  left  her  again  it  was  with  the  promise 
that  a  correspondence  should  be  maintained  between 
the  two. 

Several  months  elapsed,  during  which  time  a  weekly 
exchange  of  letters  passed  between  Mrs.  Rogers  and  Bill 
without  the  husband  entertaining  even  a  suspicion  of 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL.  89 

such  a  fact.  Much  evil,  however,  was  destined  to  flow 
from  this  pleasant  correspondence.  Bill's  letters  were  so 
precious  in  her  sight  that,  instead  of  prudently  destroy- 
ing them,  she  kept  each  one  as  though  it  were  a  priceless 
treasure.  One  of  these  communications  at  length  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  husband,  and  as  the  language  was 
of  a  decidedly  affectionate  character,  the  justly  jealous 
husband  at  once  accused  his  Indian  wife  of  infidelity, 
treachery,  duplicity  and  outrageous  conduct ;  all  this  she 
bore  with  perfect  resignation,  but  when  he  began  the 


Wild  Bill  and  Mrs.  Rogers  in  the  Park. 


same  kind  of  abuse  against  Wild  Bill  she  flew  at  him 
with  all  the  inflamed  indignation  of  her  nature  and  a  do- 
mestic scene  ensued.  Still  they  lived  together,  but 
shortly  afterward  removed  to  Kansas  City,  where  a 
second  letter  of  Bill's  being  discovered,  the  same  scene 
was  re-enacted  as  that  which  had  transpired  over  the  first 
discovery  at  St.  Louis.  Eogers  having  severely  chastised 
his  wife  and  threatened  Wild  Bill  with  death,  Mary  re- 
solved to  kill  her  husband.  To  iccomplish  this  she  had 


90  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

recourse  to  poison,  mixing  it  with  his  coffee,  and  soon 
after  Rogers  had  drank  the  fatal  potion  he  was  a  corpse. 
All  these  facts  she  wrote  to  Bill  and  then  disappeared, 
going  back  to  her  former  Indian  life,  it  is  supposed,  but 
so  completely  did  she  conceal  her  identity  that  Bill  never 
again  heard  of  her.  It  is  possible  that  the  sore  heart 
which  gave  her  such  great  distress — finding  that  she 
could  never  become  the  wife  of  the  man  she  loved  dear- 
est of  all  on  earth — finally  admonished  her  to  find  rest 
and  peace  in  a  suicide's  death. 

Upon  his  return  to  the  States  Wild  Bill  went  directly 
to  Springfield,  Mo.,  where  he  soon  after  engaged  in  a 
duel  with  one  of  the  most  desperate  men  that  ever  starfx 
ed  a  graveyard.  At  this  time  (1867)  Springfield  was  the 
place  of  rendezvous  for  scores  of  roughs,  gamblers  and 
dangerous  characters  generally.  In  one  respect  it  was  a 
meeting  place  for  the  desperado  element  created  by  the 
civil  war.  The  southern  half  of  Missouri  had  been  strong- 
ly inclined  toward  secession,  and  the  Confederate  forces 
had  been  augmented  by  many  companies  recruited  below 
the  Mason  and  Dixon  line,  and  especially  from  the  dis- 
trict immediately  adjacent  to  Springfield.  When  the  war 
closed,  of  course  these  discharged  soldiers  returned  to 
their  homes  with  the  spirit  of  Southern  sympathy  still 
uppermost,  while  defeat  had  only  served  to  increase  their 
bitterness  toward  those  whose  political  sentiments  were 
in  sympathy  with  the  North. 

Wild  Bill  was  known  (if  not  personally,  at  least  by 
reputation)  to  every  man,  woman  and  child  in  and  about 
Springfield,  and  his  enemies — bitter,  uncompromising, 
deadly  foes — were  numbered  by  scores  ;  yet  he  lingered 
about  the  place  as  though  the  danger  in  so  doing  had 
become  an  irresistible  allurement.  But  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal attractions  about  Springfield,  to  him,  was  the  unre- 


LIFE   Or   WILD   BILL.  91 

atrieted  gambling  carried  on  in  nearly  every  other  house 
on  the  business  streets.  The  place  had  literally  become  a 
paradise  for  sporting  characters,  of  which  class  Bill  was 
not  only  a  member  in  good  standing,  but  occupied  a  dis- 
tinguished position.  He  gambled  with  all  the  naturalness 
that  characterizes  a  duckling  when  it  first  strikes  water — 
not  so  much  for  profit,  perhaps,  as  for  the  excitement  it 
afforded. 

Though  he  was  constantly  surrounded  by  numerous 
enemies  who  would  have  given  half  their  future  for  his 
life,  yet  they  stood  in  awe  of  his  cool  intrepidity,  the 
precision  of  his  aim,  the  charmed  life  which  seemed  to 
have  preserved  him  for  more  gallant  acts,  and  the  proud 
carriage  of  his  person  which  told  so  plainly  that  he  knew 
nothing  of  fear.  Any  other  man  than  he  would  have  been 
dragged  to  the  nearest  tree  and  throttled,  while  a  crowd 
of  jeering  desperadoes  would  have  either  lent  a  ready 
hand  or  stood  by  and  applauded  the  deed  ;  but  the  bark 
of  his  pistol  meant  the  bite  of  a  bullet,  and  men  rarely 
become  so  lost  to  discretion  as  to  fail  in  their  respect  for 
leaden  pellets. 

Some  time  during  the  summer,  a  terror  to  the  neighbor- 
hood, named  Dave  Tutt  (formerly  a  spy  in  the  Confeder- 
ate service),  came  to  Springfield — some  said  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  killing  Bill — and  at  once  threw  himself 
into  the  gambling  element  of  the  place,  and  per  conse- 
quence, soon  met  Wild  Bill.  The  two  engaged  in  a  fifty- 
dollar  limit  game  of  poker  in  the  second-story  of  a  build- 
ing fronting  the  north  side  of  the  public  square.  Bill 
played  in  bad  luck  and  lost  several  hundred  dollars,  and 
on  the  last  hand  he  called  when  the  bet  was  twenty-five 
dollars  more  than  he  could  put  up.  Being  unable  to  dis- 
charge the  debt  at  that  moment,  he  made  a  memorandum 
of  the  amount  and  bad©  Tutt  good-night. 


92  HEROES   OP  THE   PLAINS. 

After  Bill  had  retired  to  his  room  he  resolved  never  to 
play  in  a  game  with  Tutt  again,  as  the  suspicion  just  then 
dawned  upon  him  that  he  had  been  cheated.  But  he 
kept  his  own  counsel,  and  on  the  following  day  bor- 
rowed fifty  dollars  more  of  Tutt,  and  with  this  money  he 
soon  afterward  raised  another  handsome  stake. 

Three  evenings  after  his  first  game  with  the  ex-Con- 
federate spy  Bill  was  in  the  same  gambling  room  and 
there  he  again  met  Tutt,  who  proposed  another  game  of 
poker  To  this  Bill  objected,  but  in  such  manner  as  led 
Tutt  to  believe  that  he  was  no  match  for  such  a  dexterous 
player.  Tutt  then  offered  to  stake  a  friend  against  Bill, 
and  this  proposition  being  approved  the  two  began  to 
play.  Before  beginning  the  game,  however,  Bill  drew  a 
large  gold  watch  from  his  pocket,  and  laying  it  on  the 
table  before  him,  said  to  his  partner:  "Now  I'll  play 
you  a  twenty-five  dollar  limit  until  one  of  us  is  broken,  or 
until  twelve  o'clock  ;  at  that  time  I  must  quit,  and  there- 
fore want  this  fact  understood  at  the  beginning." 

Bill  played  this  time  in  such  excellent  luck  that  Tutt's 
friend  required  frequent  staking,  and  in  a  couple  of 
hours'  time  his  winnings  were  over  five  hundred  dollars. 
Tutt  began  to  show  signs  of  reluctance  in  putting  up  any 
more  for  his  unlucky  friend,  and  in  a  tone  betraying 
much  anger  said : 

"  Bill,  you  are  now  ahead  of  this  game  enough  to  pay 
me  that  fifty  dollars  I  loaned  you,  and  also  that  forty 
dollars  I  won  off  you  Tuesday  night,  and  I  want  the 
money  right  now,"  at  the  same  time  striking  the  table 
with  his  fist. 

"  All  right,  Dave,"  responded  Bill,  "  here  is  the  fifty 
dollars  I  borrowed,  and  now  here  is  the  twenty-five  dol- 
lars I  owe  you  on  the  bet  I  called  Tuesday  night." 

"That  won't  do,  Bill,"  replied  Tutt,  "you  owe  me 


LIFE   OF   WILD    BILL.  93 

fifteen  dollars  more,  and  I  intend  to  have  it  right  here, 
or  you  won't  get  this  watch  again, "  taking  up  Wild 
Bill's  watch  and  shoving  it  into  his  pocket. 

Bill  arose  from  the  table  and  looking  Tutt  in  the  eye 
very  coolly  remarked :  "  Well,  Dave,  I'll  pay  you  every 
cent  I  owe  ;  here  is  my  memorandum  book  and  you  saw 
me  enter  the  amount  I  overbet  at  the  time ;  it  was 
twenty-five  dollars,  not  forty." 

Tutt  now  began  to  manifest  great  rage  and  called  Bill 
several  vile  names,  while  all  in  the  room  fairly  held  their 
breath  in  anticipation  of  a  mortal  combat.  But  they 
were  disappointed.  Without  betraying  the  least  excite- 
ment, Bill  replied  to  Tutt:  "I  don't  want  any  row  in 
this  gentleman's  house,  but,  Dave,  you  had  better  put 
that  watch  back  on  the  table  or  somebody  will  get  badly 
hurt.  I'll  leave  this  matter  to  the  boys  who  were  present 
when  you  won  the  twenty-five  dollars,  and  if  they  say  it 
was  forty  dollars  I'll  pay  you  the  money,  but  not  other- 
wise." 

Tutt  only  pursed  up  his  lip  at  Bill,  and  turning  about 
started  out  of  the  room,  at  the  same  time  saying :  "  I'll 
just  keep  this  watch  all  the  same,  and  if  you  want  it 
bad  enough  you  can  meet  me  in  the  public  square  to- 
morrow morning  at  nine  o'clock,  for  I  intend  to  carry 
it  across  the  square  at  that  hour." 

"  You'll  never  get  across  that  place  with  my  watch 
unless  dead  men  can  walk,"  replied  Bill;  and  thus  the 
two  parted,  Tutt  taking  the  gold  time-piece  with  him. 

Tiiis  singular  dialogue  astonished  the  gamblers  present 
as  they  were  n  ver  before.  Some  began  to  think  that 
Bill's  courage  w^s  chiefly  on  paper,  and  that  he  was 
really  afraid  of  Tutt.  But  the  true  reason  an  encounter 
was  not  preciptated  in  the  room  at  the  time  was  undoubt- 
edly the  fact,  which  both  realized,  that  even  an  attempt 


94 


HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 


to  draw  a  pistol  would  have  resulted  in  the  certain  death 
of  each ;  because  they  were  both  skilled  in  the  use  of 
weapons  and  death  wound  would  not  have  prevented  a 
return  shot. 

On  the  following  morning  (Saturday,  September  12th) 
nearly  the  entire  male  population  of  Springfield  and 
vicinity,  hearing  of  the  threatened  duel,  assembled  about 
the  public  square  at  an  early  hour.  The  law-abiding  and 
peace-preserving  class  was  too  small,  or  indisposed,  to 
restrain  the  two  men  from  fighting  to  the  death  in  the 


Wild  Bill  Satisfies  the  Natives. 

most  prominent  spot  of  the  town.  In  fact  any  attempt 
at  interference  would  not  have  been  tolerated.  The 
event  promised  altogether  too  much  amusement  for  the 
crowd  to  endure  a  postponement. 

Promptly  at  nine  o'clock  Dave  Tutt  stepped  out  from 
the  crowd  on  the  west  side  of  the  square,  and  holding 
up  the  watch  so  that  every  one  could  see  it,  made  some 
bravado  remarks  and  started  toward  the  center  of  the 
then  enclosed  place,  carrying  a  large  navy  pistol  in  his 
right  hand.  Bill  was  equally  prompt,  arid  advanced 


LIFE  OF  WILD   BILL.  95 

toward  Tiitt  briskly,  scarcely  showing  the  ivory-handled 
pistol  which  he  nearly  covered  with  his  hand.  When 
within  ten  paces  of  each  other  Tutt  was  the  first  to  raise 
his  pistol,  and  instantly  there  were  two  reports  which  rang 
out  in  such  quick  succession  as  caused  many  who  were 
unable  to  secure  a  good  view,  to  believe,  for  a  moment, 
that  only  one  shot  had  been  fired.  There  was  no  doubt 
concerning  the  result,  however,  for  Tutt  dropped  his  pis- 
tol, and  clapping  both  hands  over  his  heart  fell  forward 
without  uttering  a  word.  The  bullet  from  his  pistol 
whistled  harmlessly  by  Bill's  head  and  buried  itself  in 
an  opposite  building,  where  the  mark  may  still  be  seen. 
The  instant  his  pistol  was  discharged,  and  without  noting 
the  result,  Bill  wheeled  in  his  tracks  and,  pointing  Ibis 
pistol  at  Tutt's  friends,  coolly  asked,  "Are  you  satis- 
fied?" He  expected  a  general  attack  from  his  old 
enemies,  and  was  therefore  fully  prepared  to  face  any 
consequences,  but  while  they  showed  their  weapons  there 
were  none  in  the  crowd  bold  enough  to  appeal  the  result 
before  them. 

Bill  was  arrested  directly  after  the  shooting,  but  even 
in  a  place  where  he  had  few  friends  and  many  enemies, 
the  respect  for  his  daring  nature  was  such  that  at  a  pre- 
liminary examination  he  was  discharged  upon,  the  ground 
of  self-defense,  and  the  grand-j dry  never  took  cognizance 
of  the  tragedy  which  was  played  so  true  to  nature  before 

a  town  for  an  audience. 
8 


96  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

LEAVING  Springfield,  soon  after  the  killing  of  Tutt, 
Bill  went  to  Nebraska,  where  he  again  engaged  in  trap- 
ping, but  only  for  a  brief  period,  owing  to  an  incident 
which  made  it  judicious  for  him  to  leave  that  country, 
and  which  may  be  described  as  follows  :  Having  tried  for 
beaver  on  several  of  the  creeks  of  Nebraska  without 
meeting  favorable  results,  he  changed  his  quarters  with 
the  intention  of  testing  some  of  the  branches  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  then  Territory.  Reaching  Jef- 
ferson county  Bill  chanced  upon  a  country  saloon  which 
derived  a  patronage  from  wayfarers  and  cow-boys. 
Hitching  his  horse  he  went  into  the  saloon  and  called  for 
a  drink.  In  the  place  at  the  time  were  half  a  dozen 
herders,  all  in  a  partial  state  of  intoxication — that  con- 
dition which  invites  either  a  fight  or  a  treat  with  the 
same  desire. 

In  response  to  Bill's  order  the  bar-keeper  set  out  a 
glass  and  the  usual  black  bottle,  at  the  same  time  giving 
such  a  look  as  indicated  the  inquiry,  "  See  here,  stranger, 
what  are  you  a  doin'  in  these  here  diggins  ?  '  *  Four  of 
the  cow-boys,  seeing  Bill  in  the  act  of  taking  a  treat  all 
to  himself,  got  up  from  the  boxes  on  which  they  had  been 
sitting  and  began  to  interview  the  new-comer.  Bill  gave 
no  heed  to  their  insults,  but  just  as  he  was  in  the  act  of 
raising  the  glass  to  his  lips  one  of  the  herders,  anxious 
to  test  the  stranger's  pluck,  gave  Bill  such  a  sudden  push 
in  the  back  that  the  liquid  was  dashed  all  over  his  face, 
his  hat  fell  off,  and  in  the  momentum  he  struck  the 
counter  so  hard  that  it  was  nearly  turned  over. 

Without  uttering  a  word  Bill  wheeled  about  and  struck 
the  curiously  inclined  fellow  a  blow  that  sent  him  on  the 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL.  97 

fly  over  three  or  four  boxes,  and  into  the  comer,  where 
he  lay  limp  and  bleeding  like  a  stricken  ox.  The  other 
herders  were  now  in  for  a  fight  and  were  bound  to  have 
it ;  Bill  tried  to  pacify  them  and  show  the  justification 
of  his  act,  but  his  mild  language  only  excited  them  the 
more.  Seeing  that  some  shooting  had  to  be  done,  Bill 
proposed  to  fight  any  four  of  the  men  with  pistols  at  a 
distance  of  five  or  fifteen  paces,  just  as  they  might  choose. 
This  proposition  was  readily  accepted,  with  the  provi- 
sion that  the  bar-keeper  should  act  as  umpire,  giving  the 


A  Duel  with  Four  Men. 

word  when  to  fire.  A  distance  of  fifteen  paces  was  duly 
marked  off  and  the  four  men  took  positions  five  feet 
apart,  each  party  being  allowed  to  shoot  when  the  word 
;*  fire"  should  be  given,  and  then  to  advance  and  fire  at 
will. 

The  bar-keeper,  who  was  a  bald-headed,  cross-eyed 
specimen  of  uncivilized  villainy,  pronounced  the  affair  a 
delightful  little  sporting  event,  and  with  a  doubtful  smile 
on  his  ugly  face  stood  in  the  doorway  of  his  saloon  and 
•houted : 

" Are  you  all  ready?     One,  two,  three — fire  ! " 


98  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Before  the  last  word  had  died  from  his  lips  Bill  had 
killed  the  man  on  the  left,  but  at  the  same  time  he  re- 
ceived a  wound  in  the  right  shoulder  which  caused  his 
arm  to  fall  uselessly  by  his  side.  It  required  but  an 
instant,  however,  to  snatch  the  pistol  in  his  left  hand, 
and  being  ambidextrous  his  fatal  precision  dropped  the 
other  three  men  with  as  many  shots. 

Examination  disclosed  the  fact  that  three  of  the  men 
were  shot  in  the  brain  and  must  have  died  instantly  ;  the 
other  was  struck  in  the  right  cheek  and  a  large  portion 
of  his  jaw  was  carried  away,  but  he  survived,  and  was 
living  three  years  ago  (1878)  in  Kansas  City.  The 
names  of  the  four  men  were  Seth  Beeber,  Jim  Slater, 
Frank  Dowder,  and  Jack  Harkness,  the  latter  being  the 
survivor  of  that  terrible  fight. 

Bill's  wound  gave  him  much  pain,  but  notwithstanding 
this  and  the  apparent  kindness  of  the  bar-keeper  and 
others  in  the  saloon,  who  carefully  bandaged  the  in- 
jured limb,  Bill  very  wisely  concluded  that  the  locality 
was  now  decidedly  too  insalubrious  for  him  to  remain 
thereabouts.  On  the  same  day  he  set  out  on  his  favorite 
black  "  Nell  "  for  Kansas  City,  where  he  arrived  on  the 
29th  of  December,  seven  days  after  the  fight  occurred. 
His  wound  had  become  very  much  worse  owing  to  neg- 
lect, and  for  two  months  he  was  confined  to  his  room, 
suffering  great  pain  in  the  meantime,  but  before  spring 
his  recovery  was  so  far  accomplished  that  he  was  able  to 
join  the  expedition  against  Black  Kettle. 

This  expedition  was  organized  to  punish  th.3  Chey- 
ennes  who  had  left  their  reservation  and  started  upon  a 
career  of  brutal  atrocities.  They  had  murdered  many 
settlers  in  western  Kansas,  participating  with  then- 
northern  brothers  in  the  dreadful  massacre  on  the  Re- 
publican river,  and  then  separating  continued  their  dep 
redations  along  the  "VYachita  and  Canadian  rivers  t 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL. 

Two  commands,  one  under  Gen.  Primrose  and  the 
other  under  Gen.  Carr,  were  sent  out  after  the  perpetra- 
tors of  these  malignant,  inhuman  crimes.  Wild  Bill  was 
made  chief  of  scouts  under  the  former,  and  Buffalo  Bill 
filled  the  same  responsible  position  under  Gen.  Carr; 
subsequently,  however,  the  two  commands  were  consoli- 
dated, and  Wild  Bill  was  made  first  assistant  chief  of 
scouts  under  Buffalo  Bill.  The  Indians  were  hotly  pur- 
sued for  more  than  one  month  before  a  decisive  engage- 
ment could  be  precipitated.  Early  in  March,  '69,  the 
Cheyennes  were  brought  to  bay  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Wachita  river,  near  the  Antelople  Hills  in  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  a  memorable  battle  was  the  result.  The  In- 
dians were  found  encamped  in  a  thick  woods,  and  so 
strong  was  their  position  that  the  most  desperate  fighting 
was  required  to  dislodge  them.  Black  Kettle,  one  of  the 
ablest  chiefs  that  ever  led  a  body  of  rapacious  Cheyennes, 
was  in  command  of  the  Indians,  and  so  powerful  was  his 
very  name  that  many  renegades  from  the  Arrapahoes  and 
Kiowas,  under  Little  Raven  and  Satanta,  had  joined  their 
fortunes  with  him.  The  fight  was  begun  by  a  charge 
from  the  front  under  Primrose,  while  Carr  executed  a 
simultaneous  flank  movement  and  attacked  the  Indians 
in  the  rear  with  such  force  that  they  were  driven  from 
their  first  position.  This  advantage  the  troops  followed 
up  speedily,  and  though  the  loss  had  been  very  severe, 
every  man  in  the  command  felt  the  importance  of  now 
doing  his  full  duty,  however  great  the  sacrifice.  The 
woods  resounded  with  the  yells  of  charging  squadrons, 
and  soon  squads  of  Indians  were  flying  from  covert  to 
covert  like  frightened  animals  in  a  corral  of  hunters. 
Wild  Bill  and  Buffalo  Bill  were  the  heroes  of  that  day, 
and  their  deadly  rifles  did  the  execution  of  an  entire  com- 
pany ;  without  regard  for  the  danger  they  incurred,  each 


100  OTROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

rode  into  the  very  midst  of  the  Indians,  and  with  such 
destructive  effect  that  they  are  credited  with  having  killed 
BO  less  than  fifty  of  the  red-skins.  But  it  was  reserved 
for  "Wild  Bill  to  win  the  greater  honor.  Black  Kettle, 
realizing  how  disastrous  had  become  the  battle,  sought 
safety  in  precipitate  flight ;  but  he  was  espied  by  Wild 
Bill,  who  ran  a  gauntlet  of  spears,  tomahawks  and  rifles, 
and,  catching  the  famous  chief,  plunged  a  bowie-knife 
through  his  back  and  heart.  But  in  performing  this 
desperate  feat,  Bill  was  struck  through  the  left  hip  with 
a  spear  and  nearly  unhorsed.  So  pressed  was  he  by  more 
than  a  hundred  Indians,  that  the  trophy  of  a  chief's  scalp 
could  not  be  secured  ;  and  but  for  the  plucky  aid  of  Buf- 
falo Bill,  who  plunged  in  among  the  Indians  and  dealt 
death  with  a  lavish  hand,  Wild  Bill  would  certainly  have 
been  killed.  His  wound  soon  became  so  painful  from  the 
effects  of  the  poison  with  which  the  spear  was  dipped, 
that  after  the  battle  was  concluded  it  became  necessary  to 
convey  him  back  to  Ft.  Hays  in  an  ambulance.  The  In- 
dians were  so  badly  beaten  that  very  few  escaped,  and 
those  few  soon  afterward  came  in  and  surrendered.  All 
the  squaws  and  children  of  the  tribe  were  taken,  among 
the  number  being  a  sister  of  Black  Kettle,  who  was  after- 
ward killed  at  Hays  under  peculiarly  lamentable  circum- 
stances, as  will  be  found  described  in  the  life  of  Capt. 
Payne. 

W'ild  Bill's  condition  did  not  improve,  and  being  in  great 
need  of  complete  rest  for  some  time  in  order  to  insure 
recovery,  he  resolved  to  visit  his  old  home  in  Illinois. 
The  wound  received  in  his  Nebraska  duel  had  not  yet 
entirely  healed,  and  the  fistula  formed  from  the  cut 
received  in  his  fight  with  Conquering  Bear  was  still  sup- 
purating and  painful. 

On    the    3d    of    April   Wild    Bill    returned    to    th* 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  108 

home  he  had  left  in  his  approaching  manhood,  more 
than  thirteen  years  before.  His  aged  mother  was  in  the 
doorway  to  welcome  him,  but  there  were  so  many  changes 
in  the  appearance  of  mother  and  son  that  only  the  same 
hearts  remained  to  give  recognition.  From  the  boy  whose 
prowess  and  adventure  had  never  extended  beyond  the 
occupation  of  wolf -scalping  before  his  departure,  James 
Hickok  had  been  transformed  into  "  Wild  Bill,"  whose 
wonderful  deeds  were  on  the  lips  of  every  American  and 
had  interested  every  reader  of  border  history.  The  proph- 
esy he  made  when  first  reading  the  life  of  Kit  Carson  had 
been  fulfilled  and  a  world  had  recognized  his  intrepid 
daring,  his  unexampled  strategy  and  his  peerless  charac- 
ter in  the  civilizing  process  through  which  the  great  West 
was  passing.  He  had  returned,  laden  with  his  honors,  to 
rest  a  while  under  the  roof  which  had  sheltered  his  in- 
fancy, and  to  stray  along  the  Vermillion's  banks,  wooing 
remembrance  of  his  youthful  days  and  looking  backward 
over  the  path  which  ambition  had  made  him  travel.  Un- 
der the  loving  care  of  his  mother  and  affectionate  kin- 
dred, Wild  Bill  soon  felt  returning  strength  and  conva- 
lescence. 


CHAPTEE  YIII. 

Two  months  passed  pleasantly  away  with  Bill,  for  from 
the  hard  service  he  had  so  long  endured,  the  delicate 
attention  he  now  received  was  like  soothing  balm  to  his 
wounds,  and  there  was  a  rapid  recovery.  But  the  rest- 
less spirit  soon  became  conscious  of  its  restrictions  in  the 
old  home  of  his  nativity,  and  with  recovery  came  the 


104  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

desire  for  new  adventures  on  the  wild  wilderness  of  the 
Western  prairies.  Before  returning  West,  he  concluded 
to  visit  one  of  his  boyhood  friends  named  Heman  Bald- 
win, who  was  a  resident  of  Chicago.  Upon  reaching  that 
city  Baldwin,  having  been  apprised  of  his  intended  visit, 
met  Bill  at  the  depot  and  gave  him  a  warm  reception, 
after  which  the  two  drove  around  to  the  principal  places 
of  interest,  and  Bill  was  introduced  to  several  of  the  most 
prominent  gentlemen  in  the  city. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after  Bill's  arrival  in 
Chicago,  in  the  company  of  his  friend  Baldwin,  he  went 
into  the  billiard  hall  that  was  attached  to  the  St.  James 
hotel.  Being  dressed  in  the  genuine  garb  of  a  frontiers- 
man, buckskin  clothes  trimmed  with  leather  fringe,  he 
naturally  attracted  much  attention  everywhere  on  the 
streets,  but  at  no  place  did  the  curiosity  of  Chicagoans 
display  itself  so  much  as  in  the  billiard  hall ;  men  actu- 
ally left  off  in  the  midst  of  their  games  to  gaze  enquir- 
ingly at  the  singular  stranger,  and  Bill  soon  found  him- 
self the  cynosure  of  all  eyes. 

Among  those  who  made  up  the  crowd  hi  the  saloon 
were  seven  compatriots  of  hoodlumism,  fellows  whose 
airy  tongues,  swaggering  style,  and  noses  bedizened  with 
the  torch-light  of  whisky's  ensign,  indicated  plainly  their 
belligerent  and  crime  loving  proclivities.  They  fixed 
their  gaze  on  Bill  with  curious  interest  until  the  seven 
concluded  it  would  afford  them  much  satisfaction  and  re- 
dound no  little  to  their  reputation  to  give  the  stranger  a 
severe  threshing — just  by  way  of  illustrating  how  tame 
Chicago  boys  could  handle  the  wild  plainsman. 

In  order  to  introduce  the  social  affray  one  of  the  party 
accosted  Bill  in  the  following  manner : 

"  Say,  you,  leather  breeches,  where  did  you  come 
from?" 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL.  105 

"  I  came  from  a  section  of  country  where  everybody 
minds  his  own  business,  a  place  you  never  saw,"  re- 
sponded Bill. 

"  Why,  the  Indian  scalper  is  a  little  sharp  ;  but  there 
are  some  feathers  in  his  wings  that  ought  to  be  cut,'* 
another  of  the  roughs  suggested. 

To  this  second  insult  Bill  paid  no  attention  because  he 
anticipated  the  object  of  the  crowd  and  was  anxious  to 
avoid  trouble.  A  third  one,  however,  considering  his 
turn  had  come  to  say  something  witty,  addressed  Bill  : 

4 '  I  suppose  that  everybody  in  your  country  dresses  in 
raw-hide  and  washes  every  morning  in  a  pot  of  fresh 
blood  ;  ain't  that  so,  Wild-Bull-of-the-Woods ? ' ' 

"  Well,  a  country  of  that  kind  is  better  than  the  one 
you  came  from,  where  there  isn't  a  fellow  who  knows  his 
own  father,"  replied  Bill. 

This  cutting  rebuke  created  a  perfect  tempest  among 
the  irascible  hoodlums.  Another  quickly  walked  to- 
ward Bill  and  fairly  spit  out  between  his  teeth  the  in- 
quiry : 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  our  mothers  are  not  honest 
women  ?' ' 

"  I  mean,"  answered  Bill,  "  if  they  are  it  was  d — d 
bad  business  they  got  into  when  you  were  begotten." 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth  before  the 
bullies  gathered  billiard  cues  and  assailed  Bill  with  an  ex- 
pressed determination  to  take  his  scalp  in  a  manner  pe- 
culiar to  the  lake-side  city. 

Although  still  lame  and  sore  from  the  wounds  111  his  hip 
and  arm,  Bill  forgot  these  in  the  fight  which  ensued. 
In  a  second  he  had  grabbed  a  cue,  which  was  as  quickly 
broken  convenient  to  his  hand,  and  then  the  trouble  be- 
came at  once  very  serious.  The  fight,  in  fact,  was  a 
counterpart  of  Gilhooley's  affair  at  Tim  Finnigan's 


106  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

wake,  when  a  shillalah  was  worth  a  crown  a  sc-coud. 
Baldwin,  Bill's  friend,  was,  of  course,  engaged  and  did 
splendid  service  as  a  reserve,  wielding  a  cue  with  much 
dexterity.  Bill  was  struck  several  times  on  the  head  and 
arms,  one  of  the  strokes  cutting  a  long,  deep  gash  in  his 
forehead,  but  he  fought  with  the  same  cool  desperation 
which  had  brought  him  so  much  glory  and  a  decisive 
victory  at  Eock  Creek. 

At  the  end  of  ten  minutes  the  seven  Chicago  braggarts 
were  extended  on  the  floor,  each  nursing  bruises  and  cuts 
the  evidence  of  which  will  abide  with  them  thro  ugh  life. 
They  had  thoroughly  interviewed  ' '  leather  breeches ' ' 
and  definitely  determined  the  product  of  that  queer  coun- 
try from  whence  the  stranger  had  come.  They  each  felt 
like  the  little  barefooted  boy  who  delivered  a  vicious 
kick  at  an  old  plug  hat  only  to  find  that  under  it  were 
purposely  concealed  three  big  bricks. 

Bill  returned  to  Troy  Grove  on  the  following  morning 
with  his  head  well  bandaged,  wearing  painful  mementoes 
of  his  Chicago  visit.  While  recuperating  before  starting 
for  the  West  again,  he  received  a  letter  from  Vice-Presi- 
dent Henry  Wilson,  as  follows  : 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  May  17th,  1869. 
JAMES  B.  HICKOK,  ESQ.  : 

DEAR  SIR  :  A  party  consisting  of  several  gentlemen, 
ladies  and  myself,  desire  to  spend  a  few  weeks  in  the  far 
West  during  the  warm  season,  and  I  hope  it  will  be  our 
fortune  to  secure  your  excellent  services  as  our  guide.  I 
have  heard  much  concerning  your  wonderful  exploits  in 
the  West,  and  of  such  a  character,  too,  as  commend  you 
highly  for  efficiency  in  the  scouting  service  of  the  govern- 
ment. If  it  be  possible  for  you  to  accompany  our  party 
as  guide  some  time  during  the  following  month,  please 
write  me  at  once  at  Willard's  Hotel,  Washington,  indi- 
cating what  compensation  you  will  expect,  and  also  from 
what  point  in  Kansas  we  had  best  start  on  the  tour.  I 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL.  107 

shall  leave  to  you  the  selection  of  a  pleasant  route,  as 
your  general  acquaintance  with  the  places  of  interest  be- 
tween the  Missouri  river  and  Rocky  Mountains  better  quali- 
fies you  for  deciding  the  trip  that  promises  the  most  at^ 
tractions. 

Hoping  to  hear  from  you  at  your  earliest  convenience, 
I  am,  yours  truly, 

HENRY  WILSON. 

On  receipt  of  this  letter  Wild  Bill  replied  at  some 
length,  giving  Mr.  Wilson  a  brief  description  of  many  in- 
teresting places,  a  visit  to  which  it  would  be  profitable  for 
the  party  to  make.  He  fixed  his  compensation  at  five 
hundred  dollars  for  the  trip  indicated  in  his  descriptions, 
and  feeling  sure  of  an  acceptance  of  the  proposition,  he 
made  provision  for  returning  west.  In  this  connection  it 
is  but  proper  that  reference  should  be  made  to  another 
trip  Bill  had  made  as  guide  to  a  party  of  officials,  durir 
tvhich,  however,  no  incidents  of  special  interest  occurr  *• 

In  the  spring  of  1866  a  party  of  government  officia^, 
appointed  in  compliance  with  a  special  act  of  Congress 
for  the  purpose,  made  a  visit  to  all  the  Indian  tribes  then 
on  government  reservations.  Wild  Bill  was  chosen  to 
guide  this  party,  and  acquitted  himself  so  well  that  each 
member  of  the  commission  paid  him  the  highest  compli- 
ments. Henry  M.  Stanley,  who  has  since  distinguished 
himself  by  his  African  explorations,  accompanied 
the  commission  as  a  special  correspondent  of  the  New 
York  Herald,  and  in  that  capacity  he  epitomized  the  life 
of  Wild  Bill  and  sent  many  columns  of  matter  to  his 
paper  descriptive  of  the  great  scout's  valor,  quiet  humor, 
wonderful  acumen  as  a  guide  and  Indian  trailer,  and 
above  all  his  marvellous  accuracy  of  aim.  These  stories 
possessed  much  interest  for  readers  of  the  Herald,  and 
in  fact  for  readers  generally,  as  they  were  all  copied  by 
many  other  papers,  and  served  to  make  the  name  of 


108  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

Wild  Bill  as  familiar  as  that  of  Daniel  Boone  and  Davy 
Crockett.  Harper's  Magazine  devoted  several  pages  to 
a  description  of  his  adventures,  a  number  of  which  were 
appropriately  illustrated.  But  it  is  only  necessary  to  pay 
a  passing  allusion  to  these  facts,  as  the  important  inci- 
flents  are  already  given  more  fully  in  the  preceding 
pages. 

OP  tin  twentieth  of  June  the  Wilson  party,  with  Bill 
as  guide,  left  Hays  City,  well  provided  with  teams,  spring 
vehicles,  and  a  well  stocked  commissary.  The  gentlemen 
in  the  party,  with  the  exception  of  the  Vice  President, 
were  dressed,  ghigularly  enough,  in  a  style  of  garments 
peculiar  to  the  Washington  modes ;  that  is,  tight-fitting 
pants,  cut-away  coat?  and  stiff  hats.  Bill  could  not  help 
making  some  remarks  a\>out  this,  to  him,  odd  manner  of 
dress,  especially  as  he  sa^  how  inconvenient,  if  not  un- 
comfortable, it  must  prove  ^pon  a  journey  of  the  char- 
acter they  were  about  to  make.  Mrs.  Wilson  and  the 
ladies  had  more  wisely  prepared  themselves  with  easy, 
unconventional  dresses,  at  once  evidencing  the  fact  that 
they  appreciated  the  admiration  of  thoir  escorts  less  than 
the  comforts  they  desired  while  traveling  on  the  plains. 
Mrs.  Wilson  being  a  woman  of  superior  wit,  and  jolly 
under  almost  any  circumstances  ;  in  fact  the  evanescent 
life  of  a  party,  on  the  day  of  their  departure  engaged 
Bill  in  an  agreable  conversation,  and  the  two  speedily 
became  well  acquainted.  "Now,"  said  she  to  Bill,  "you 
are  with  an  unsophisticated  crowd  of  Yankees  who  know 
just  as  much  about  life  on  the  plains  as  they  do  about 
the  person  who  first  discovered  there  was  a  man  in  the 
moon;  there  is  no  doubt,  too,  but  that  some  of  these 
younger  ones  are  badly  in  love,  and  this  only  serves  to 
make  their  simplicity  more  apparent.  I  want  you, 
Mr.  Hickok,  to  keep  a_protecting  eye  on  the  party, 


UPE  OF  WILU  BILfc, 


109 


110  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 

discover  their  good  and  indifferent  points  if  you  can, 
determine  which  are  most  courageous,  etc.,  and  see  that 
none  of  them  get  into  trouble." 

Of  course  Wild  Bill  readily  assented  to  this  request 
from  so  amiable  and  elegant  a  lady ;  and  the  party  set 
out  with  bright  prospects  under  his  watchful  guar- 
dianship, traveled  over  a  large  extent  of  territory,  camp- 
ing at  night  beside  cool  streams,  roamed  through  the 
canons  of  the  Arkansas,  and  visited  the  spot  on  Repub- 
lican river  where  the  Cheyennes  had  perpetrated  one  of 
the  most  terrible  massacres  that  is  recorded  in  Indian 
warfare.  Bill  interested  the  party  in  many  ways,  giving 
them  examples  of  his  skillful  marksmanship  with  pistol 
and  rifle,  pointing  out  places  memorable  for  some  excit- 
ing incident,  and  at  night  regaling  them  with  stories  of 
his  life.  The  weather  was  delightful  during  the  entire 
trip,  game  abundant  and  nothing  occurred  to  mar  the 
perfect  pleasure  of  anyone  in  the  social  expedition. 

Nearly  five  weeks  had  slipped  by  before  the  party  re- 
turned to  Hays  City,  but  the  time  had  been  so  pleas- 
antly employed  that  there  was  a  general  regret  expressed 
for  the  termination  of  the  tour. 

On  the  day  the  tourists  were  to  leave  for  the  East  the 
Vice-President  had  a  dinner  prepared  at  the  hotel,  to 
which  Bill  was  invited,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  feast 
the  distinguished  head  of  the  party  addressed  Bill  in  the 
most  complimentary  language,  referring  to  his  reputation 
and  pronouncing  him  one  of  the  characters  most  essential 
in  the  settlement  of  the  great  West,  where  brave  men 
were  needed  to  curb  the  ferocious  elements  met  with  hi 
all  new  countries  ;  then  opening  a  beautiful  case  contain- 
ing two  elegant  ivory-handled  pistols,  he  presented  it  to 
Bill  as  a  souvenir  of  "  the  most  pleasant  trip  he  (the  Vica- 
President)  had  ever  made/ ' 


LIFE    OF  WTLD    MIX. 


Ill 


Hays  City  was,  at  this  time,  one  of  the  liveliest  towns 
on  the  frontier.  It  contained  a  population  of  nearly  two 
thousand  souls,  and  nearly  every  "soul"  in  it  was  a 
lively  character.  The  people  were  essentially  a  sporting 


The  Principal  Amusement  at  Hays  City. 

olase,  with  a  gambling  den  for  every  dozen  of  the  males, 
and  a  saloon — well,  the  whole  town  was  practically  a 
drinking  shop.  Fights,  murders  and  drunks  were  the 
incidents  which  enlivened  the  otherwise  stupid  place— 


112  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

not  much  stupidity  about  such  a  place,  the  reader  will  at 
once  decide.  But  in  fact,  outside  of  the  demoralizing 
deviltry  of  the  citizens,  Hays  City  was  only  a  little  spot 
sitting  uneasily  in  the  centre  of  a  quiet  prairie.  On  Sun- 
day, as  well  as  on  every  other  day,  the  voice  of  the  keno 
caller  could  be  heard  in  its  monotonous  cadence,  as  well 
also  as  the  exclamation  "  O  !  shucks,"  from  those  whose 
numbers  were  all  crossed — but  one.  Faro  had  its  vo- 
taries even  more  numerous  than  keno,  and  the  street 
walker  could  any  time  hear  the  euphonious  refrain,  "  I'll 
copper  on  the  tray/'  or,  "  busted  ag'in,  gimme  a  drink." 

It  was  a  singular  civilization,  that  of  Hays  City  in  the 
fall  of  1869,  and  as  every  one  enjoyed  the  sensation  of 
hourly  expecting  a  call  from  an  enemy  bent  on  fight,  the 
population  consented  to  have  a  marshal,  whose  services 
they  expected  would  be  that  of  a  mutual  protector,  guard- 
ing one  enemy  from  the  surprises  of  another. 

Wild  Bill  being  universally  regarded  as  the  very  per- 
sonification of  reckless  courage,  and  therefore  being  ac- 
cordingly popular,  wras  elected  City  Marshal  of  Hays 
City  on  the  8th  of  September,  1869.  He  went  into  of- 
fice at  once,  and  while  every  disorderly  character  consid- 
ered himself  exempt  from  interference,  he  nevertheless 
expected  the  marshal  to  interfere  with  every  other  per- 
son, so  that  there  was  great  satisfaction  felt,  and  really 
salutary  influences  were  looked  forward  to,  in  the  newly 
created  office. 


LIFE  Or  WILD   BILL.  IIS 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

DIEBCTLY  after  assuming  his  official  duties  Bill  was 
called  to  perform  an  act  which  involved  the  destruction 
of  one  of  the  most  noted  desperadoes  on  the  border, — 
Jack  Strawhan, — who  had  started  a  half-dozen  fresh 
graveyards  in  as  many  different  places,  and  boasted  of  his 
ability  to  clean  out  Hays  City  and  its  new  marshal. 

Some  years  before  the  occurrence  about  to  be  related 
took  place,  Capt.  Kingsbury,  at  that  time  sheriff  of  Ells- 
worth county,  had  occasion  to  arrest  Strawhan  for  violent 
conduct  and  outrages  committed  in  the  town  of  Ells- 
worth. But  the  desperado  was  too  powerful  for  one  man 
to  handle ;  besides  his  herculean  strength  he  was  well 
armed  and  quick  to  use  his  weapons.  Knowing  this  Capt. 
Kingsbury  called  his  deputy,  named  Charles  Whitney, 
and  also  Wild  Bill,  who  chanced  to  be  in  Ellsworth  at 
the  time,  to  his  assistance.  The  three  approached 
Strawhan  in  such  a  manner  that  he  saw  resistance  would 
result  in  his  certain  death,  and  therefore  quietly  sub- 
mitted to  arrest.  But  as  there  was  no  jail  in  Ellsworth 
he  was  tied  securely  for  a  short  while  until  manacles 
could  be  provided. 

During  the  time  of  arrest  Strawhan  made  oath  by 
declaration  that  he  would  kill  Wild  Bill,  Whitney  and 
Kingsbury  when  the  first  opportunity  offered,  and  the 
character  of  the  man  justified  belief  that  his  public  threat 
would  be  carried  into  execution. 

Learning  that  Bill  was  discharging  the  duties  of  City 
Marshal  at  Hays  City,  Strawhan  paid  a  special  visit  to 
that  place  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  getting  even  with 
him,  a  warning  which  soon  reached  the  ears  of  his  in- 
tended victim. 
7 


114  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  October,  1869,  while  Bill  was  in 
Tommy  Drum's  saloon  with  a  party  of  friends,  his 
alert  eye  caught  the  form  of  Strawhan  entering  the 
room  by  a  side  door.  As  his  acquaintance  with  the 
desperado  had  never  extended  beyond  the  circumstantial 
meeting  in  Ellsworth,  Bill  appeared  to  take  no  notice  of 
him,  though  in  fact  the  quick  glances  of  his  watch- 
ful eyes  kept  him  duly  informed  of  every  movement  his 
enemy  made.  Strawhan  strolled  up  toward  the  bar  in 
an  apparently  indifferent  manner  until  within  ten  feet  of 
Bill,  when,  conceiving  that  his  opportunity  had  arrived, 
he  jerked  out  a  heavy  navy  pistol,  but  when  in  the  act  of 
raising  it,  Bill,  with  lightning-like  quickness,  drew  one 
of  his  small  derringers,  and  with  the  same  movement  sent 
a  slug  squarely  into  Strawhan' s  left  eye  and  through  the 
brain.  The  shot  was  so  instantly  fatal  that  the  man  was 
stone  dead  on  his  feet,  falling  forward  on  his  face  without 
even  a  twitch  of  the  muscles.  Without  giving  the  slight- 
est heed  to  his  desperate  work  Bill  turned  to  the  bar  and 
extended  the  familiar  invitation  to  all  in  the  house : 
"  Come  up,  boys,  let's  all  take  a  drink,"  and  it  is  only  a 
fitting  conclusion  to  this  description  of  an  "  official  exe- 
cution "  to  say,  that  none  in  the  saloon  refused. 

The  body  of  Strawhan  was  "  sat  on  "  by  a  "  crowu- 
er's  jury,"  the  verdict  of  v-'hich  was,  "  served  him  right, 
and  so  we  declare." 

At  night  some  of  the  boys  got  up  an  improvised  string 
band  and  gave  Bill  a  serenade  in  true  "Western  style, 
which  ended,  as  did  everything  else  in  Hays  City  at  that 
time,  in  a  general  free-for-all  drunk,  with  a  few  bad 
fights  by  way  of  spice  for  the  occasion. 

Whitney  did  not  die  by  the  hands  of  Strawhan,  but  in 
1873  he  became  engaged  in  a  brawl  with  a  Texas  despe- 
rado named  Ben  Thompson,  in  which  he  was  shot  to 


LITE  or  WILD  BH&,  115 

death.  Capt.  Kingsbury  is  still  living  in  Kansas  City, 
respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

In  December  following  the  event  just  narrated,  Hays 
City  became  the  objective  point  of  Bill  Mulvey,  a  no- 
torious thug,  prize  fighter,  cut-throat  and  demoralized 
character  generally,  whose  home  was  in  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 
Mulvey  was  a  "terror"  in  his  own  neighborhood  and 
had  fallen  into  the  pernicious  custom  of  running  St.  Joe 
whenever  his  skin  became  thoroughly  impregnated  with 
whisky,  which  was,  generally,  on  an  average  of  seven 
times  a  week.  When  Mulvey  reached  Hays  City  he 
wanted  only  a  few  drinks  of  that  tantalizing,  heroizing, 
belligerent  liquid  peculiar  to  the  far  West,  to  put  him  in 
proper  condition  for  carrying  out  his  old  custom  in  the 
new  town,  and  he  was  not  long  in  supplying  the  want. 

It  may  be  proper  to  explain  here  that,  while  every  per- 
son in  Hays  was  a  "bad  crowd"  on  general  principles, 
yet  there  was  no  single  individual  in  the  place  who  had 
ever  assumed  the  responsibility  of  running  the  town ,  or 
believed  he  was  equal  to  such  an  undertaking.  But  Bill 
Mulvey  was  an  importation,  and  therefore  excusable  for 
arrogating  to  himself  a  capacity  which  no  man  indig- 
enous to  the  place  thought  of  claiming. 

When  Mulvey  got  up  a  pressure  of  about  three  hun- 
dred pounds  to  the  square  inch  he  moved  in  his  old  style, 
and  began  howling  like  a  Dervish,  swearing  like  a  recent 
senator  from  Missouri,  and  making  the  town  shake  with 
resolutions  to  clean  out  every  "son  of  a  whale "  who 
showed  himself  on  the  streets.  Not  satisfied  with  threat- 
ening, he  secured  a  club  and  began  a  promiscuous  on- 
slaught on  windows,  boxes,  doors  and  everything  he  could 
find  that  was  breakable.  At  length  a  constable  and  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  trained  their  official  batteries  on  him. 
and  tried  to  place  him  under  arrest,  but  with  such  poor 


116  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

success  that  their  prisoner  brought  up  Ms  reserve  and 
with  raised  club  ran  the  two  dignitaries  nearly  a  mile  out 
of  town. 

Things  were  now  getting  altogether  too  interesting  for 
comf oil,  for  Mulvey,  emboldened  by  his  successful  raid  on 
the  two  officers,  took  possession  of  the  town  so  completely 
that  wherever  he  went  there  seemed  to  be,  judging  from 
the  ready  obedience  everyone  yielded  him,  a  perfect 
resignation  to  his  authority.  At  the  time  these  depre- 
dations were  being  committed  Wild  Bill  was  in  another 
part  of  the  town  and  did  not  learn  of  Mulvey 's  dis- 
turbances until  the  west  end  was  given  over  to  his 
pleasure.  Word  was  brought  to  Bill,  by  a  little  boy, 
concerning  the  troubles  of  citizens  dealing  with  the  des- 
perado, and  going  at  once  to  the  place  of  difficulty  he 
soon  found  Mulvey,  who  had  a  pistol  in  each  hand  and 
was  still  yelling  like  a  tribe  of  victorious  Comanches* 
Approaching  him  in  a  quiet  manner  Wild  Bill  said : 

"  Stranger,  I  shall  have  to  arrest  you  for  disorderly 
conduct ;  come  with  me." 

Eaising  his  two  pistols  in  Bill's  face  Mulvey  replied : 

"  Well,  now  stranger,  suppose  you  come  with  me,  1 


e> 

hold  the  winning  hand." 


"That's  so,"  responded  Bill,  "I  can't  beat  thai 
pair." 

"  No,  I  guess  you  can't,  and  since  you  are  so  fresh  h 
will  be  a  good  thing  for  me  to  hang  you  up  till  you  dry. 
March  I"  was  the  command  given  by  Mulvey. 

Before  Bill  turned  he  backed  off  two  or  three  step! 
and  raising  his  hand  as  if  to  warn  Mulvey  against  an  at- 
tack about  to  be  made  on  him  from  the  rear,  said : 

"  Don't  hit  him  boys,  he's  only  in  fun." 

The  strategy  was  perfectly  successful,  for  Mulvey  in* 
mediately  turned  about  expecting  to  confront  a  new  ad« 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL*  117 

versary,  but  this  act  was  the  last  in  his  career,  for  "Wild 
Bill  secured  the  drop  in  an  instant  and  shot  Mulvey  in 
the  head,  killing  him  with  that  rare  skill  for  which  he 
was  remarkable. 

Everyone  in  Hays  rejoiced  at  the  result  of  Bill  Mul- 
vey 's  "  big  tear,"  and  instead  of  holding  an  inquest  over 
the  dead  body  it  was  at  once  carted  out  to  the  nearest 
burying  spot  and  slung  into  a  hole.  Wild  Bill  was  con- 
gratulated with  words  full  of  unctious  flattery  and  the 
citizens  directly  wanted  to  see  him  elevated  to  the  highest 
pinnacle  of  fame,  for  they  observed  that  he  was  civilizing 
and  protecting  the  neighborhood. 

The  duties  of  marshal  were  easy  enough  foi  several 
months  after  the  killing  of  Strawhan  and  Mulvey.  Bill 
was  regarded  with  great  popularity  as  a  conservator  of 
the  peace,  without  specially  interfering  with  the  morale 
of  the  town  ;  his  acts  met  with  great  favor  because  they 
were  recognized  as  the  execution  of  a  stern  but  whole* 
some  justice. 

During  the  campaigns  of  1869-70  Gen.  Phil.  Sheridan 
had  his  headquarters  at  Ft.  Hays,  a  station  one  mile  west 
of  Hays  City.  After  the  success  of  the  Indian  expeditions 
along  the  Wachita,  Arickaree  Fork  and  Canadian  rivers, 
the  troops  returned  to  Ft.  Hays,  making  a  garrison  for 
the  time  being  of  about  two  thousand  soldiers.  These 
enlisted  men  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  town,  and  soon 
became  the  source  of  no  small  annoyance,  as  they  were  in 
the  habit  of  filling  up  on  pioneer  whisky  and  then  turn- 
ing things  literally  inside  out.  Wild  Bill  had  arrested 
several  of  the  more  turbulent  soldiers  from  time  to  time, 
which  developed  a  bitter  hatred  on  the  part  of  the  men 
again  st  him .  He  anticipated  trouble  from  these  unreason- 
able, reckless  volunteers,  and  was  constantly  prepared  for 
emergencies. 


118  HEBOES   Or  THE  PLAINS. 

On  the  12th  of  February,  1870,  a  body  of  soldiers 
visited  Hays  and  began  their  usual  orgies,  which,  of 
course,  called  for  Wild  BilPs  interference.  Among  the 
disturbers  of  the  peace  was  a  large,  double-jointed  ser- 
geant from  the  Seventh  U.  S.  Cavalry,  who  had  a  goodly 
reputation  as  a  boss  shoulder-striker,  and  his  ability  to 
*  *  curry  ' '  the  best  man  in  the  regiment  was  generally 
conceded.  This  fellow  (whose  name  is  not  given  in  Bill's 
diary  for  the  reason,  perhaps,  that  he  never  learned  it),  on 
the  day  named,  was  in  Paddy  Welch's  saloon  smashing  up 
things  with  an  abandon  which  did  him  infinite  credit  as  a 
desperate  character.  Wild  Bill  learned  of  the  disturb- 
ance and  was  soon  at  his  post  of  duty.  Soldiers  were 
standing  around  watching  the  hilarious  occupation  of 
their  sergeant  and  evidently  enjoying  the  privilege  of 
practicing  any  deviltry  their  fancy  dictated.  Bill  walked 
into  the  saloon  and  laid  his  hand  on  the  sergeant,  at  the 
same  time  repeating  his  invariable  command :  *  '  Stran- 
ger, I  shall  have  to  arrest  you  for  disorderly  conduct ; 
come  with  me." 

The  sergeant,  taken  by  surprise  at  what  he  conceived 
to  be  a  piece  of  remarkable  cheek  and  impudence,  re- 
sponded : 

"  How  much  do  you  weigh,  Mr.  Long  Hair?" 

** 1  weigh  only  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pounds/' 
replied  Bill,  "  when  I'm  in  a  good  humor,  but  my  fight- 
ing size  is  a  fraction  more  than  a  ton ;  you  come  along 
with  me." 

"Hold  on  !"  said  the  sergeant,  "  I'm  not  going  with 
you  just  now ;  but  I'll  tell  you  what  I  will  do  :  I'll  fight 
you  a  fair  fight  right  here  in  front  of  this  saloon,  and  if 
you  lick  me  then  I'm  your  meat,  but  if  I  lick  you  then 
you're  my  meat ;  how  do  you  like  the  proposition,  eh?" 

Before  Bill  could  reply  more  than  a  dozen  soldiers  sur- 


LIFE  OF  WILD   BILL.  121 

rounded  the  two  men  and  began  shouting:  "  Fight, 
fight,  let  'em  fight,"  etc.,  so  that  but  one  of  two  alter- 
natives was  left,  either  get  out  of  the  crowd  like  a  coward, 
or  fight  like  the  brave  man  he  was.  It  was  therefore 
agreed  that  Bill  and  the  sergeant  should  leave  their 
weapons  with  Paddy  Welch  and  engage  in  a  fair  battle  to 
determine  squarely  their  respective  claims  to  the  other's 
"meat." 

Although  the  sergeant  was  much  larger,  he  was  by  no 
means  a  match  for  Bill.  When  the  two  men  faced  each 
other,  stripped  of  theiv  coats,  they  showed  abundant 
mettle  and  lost  no  time  ia  getting  to  work.  The  ser- 
geant led  off,  but  made  euch  a  bad  miscue  that  his  right 
eye  lit  heavily  against  Bill's  fist  and  his  nose  followed 
suit  countering  against  the  kick  of  the  marshal's  second 
blow.  Bill  fought  all  round  him,  and  in  less  than  half 
a  minute  had  the  big  sergeant  down  in  a  dreadfully  de- 
moralized condition.  Fourteen  of  the  soldiers  seeing 
their  ofiicer  in  the  grip  of  a  threshing  machine  with  small 
chance  of  getting  out  without  much  assistance,  ran  in 
and  began  to  club  and  stone  Bill.  Paddy  Welch,  realiz- 
ing the  great  danger  of  his  friend,  at  the  imminent  risk 
of  his  own  life  gathered  up  Bill's  pistols  and,  pushing 
through  the  crowd,  succeeded  in  placing  them  in  their 
owner's  hands.  Now  the  fun  did  begin  with  renewed  in- 
terest. Bang !  and  with  the  discharge  down  went  one  of 
the  boldest  soldiers.  Then  the  crowd  shouted,  "Look 
out !  he's  got  a  pistol !"  but  before  they  got  away,  two 
more  of  their  number  were  shot  dead  The  remaining 
soldiers  then  drew  their  pistols  and  began  firing  with 
such  accuracy  that  Bill  was  struck  no  less  than  seven 
times.  He  retreated  firing,  wounding  three  more  of  his 
antagonists,  which  permitted  him  to  escape  by  swimming 
Smoky  river.  When  he  reached  the  other  side,  how- 


122  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

ever,  his  wounds  gave  him  so  much  pain  that,  fairly  drag^ 
ging  his  injured  body  to  a  buffalo  wallow,  he  secreted  him- 
self therein  and  tore  up  his  clothes  to  bandage  his  hurts. 
Three  balls  had  passed  through  his  arms,  three  more  en- 
tered the  fleshy  parts  of  his  legs,  and  one  had  penetrated 
the  flesh  of  his  left  side.  None  of  these  wounds  were 
serious  provided  they  could  have  received  proper  atten- 
tion, but  he  was  now  compelled  to  undergo  an  exposure 
which  not  one  man  in  a  thousand,  perhaps,  could  survive. 
While  on  his  feet  the  blood  had  run  down  into  his  boots 
until  they  were  nearly  full ;  he  was,  therefore,  compelled 
to  cut  them  off,  especially  as  one  of  the  wounds  was  in 
the  calf  of  his  leg  which  the  boot  top  rubbed,  producing 
the  most  violent  pain.  Bill  lay  in  the  wallow  for  two 
days,  so  stiffened  and  in  such  agony  from  his  injuries 
that  he  could  not  summon  up  courage  to  attempt  a 
change.  The  weather  was  very  cold  in  the  meantime, 
and  from  this  he  suffered  as  much  as  from  the  wounds  ; 
his  clothes — the  few  that  remained  on  him — were  frozen 
to  the  ground,  and  the  bandages,  now  stiff  from  frozen 
blood,  seemed  to  gnaw  at  his  injuries  like  ingenious  in- 
struments of  torture. 

On  the  third  day,  half -frozen,  weak  from  loss  of  blood 
and  fasting,  sore  in  every  muscle,  and  suffering  from  the 
most  poignant  anguish,  Wild  Bill  arose,  with  the 
crotcheting  motion  of  Eip  Van  Winkle  from  twenty 
years  of  sleeping,  and  by  dint  of  incomparable  resolution 
gained  his  feet.  But  being  unable  to  put  on  his  boots  he 
wrapped  his  undershirt  about  his  feet  and  struggled 
away  from  that  bed  of  terrible  suffering.  Moving  at  a 
painfully  slow  pace  he  nevertheless  managed  to  reach 
Ben  Williams'  ranche,  five  miles  from  Hays,  and  there  he 
remained  under  the  care  of  a  kind  friend  for  several 
days* 


LIFE   OF  WILL    BILL. 

Knocking  at  the  cabin  door  where  Williams  lived,  his 
friend  answered  the  summons,  but,  with  a  startled  look, 
said  :  « '  Why,  my  God  !  Bill,  what  is  the  matter  ?  Come 
in  and  tell  me  what  I  can  do  for  you." 

"  Well,  Ben,"  slowly  responded  Bill,  "  I  am  in  a  bad 
fix ;  shot  all  to  pieces  and  suffering  worse  than  I  did  with 
them  hurts  I  got  up  at  Rock  Creek.  Didn't  you  hear  of 
the  fight  up  at  Hays,  three  days  ago?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  Williams,  "  I  heard  about  the  fight, 
but  I  never  knew  you  got  shot ;  I  am  afraid,  Bill,  they 
will  catch  you  here,  for  they  are  scouring  the  country  for 
you." 

"  Why,  who  is  after  me  now?  "  eagerly  enquired  Bill. 

"  Good  gracious  I  oldpard,"  replied  Williams,  "  don't 
you  know  that  Gen.  Sheridan  has  ordered  out  a  whole 
company  with  instructions  to  bring  you  in  dead  or  alive  ? ' ' 

"No,"  answered  Bill,  "is  that  so?  Well,  they  can 
take  me  here,  then,  for  I  can't  go  any  further ;  I'm  almost 
dead  from  pain  and  hunger." 

"  They'll  not  take  you  if  I  can  prevent  it;  I've 
got  an  old  pallet  up  in  the  loft  of  this  cabin,  and  I  guess 
they'll  hardly  find  you  up  there,"  were  the  assuring 
words  of  Williams. 

Bill  was  at  once  assisted  up  a  ladder  that  stood  in  a 
corner  of  the  cabin,  and  he  there  lay  secreted  and  was 
properly  cared  for  by  his  friend  for  more  than  three 
weeks. 

It  transpired  that  Bill  had  effected  his  escape  from  the 
soldiers  without  any  of  them  supposing  he  was  wounded, 
and  after  Gen.  Sheridan  had  issued  his  stern  order  to 
capture  and  bring  in  the  daring  marshal  "  dead  or  alive," 
it  was  reasonably  supposed  that  only  a  long  chase  would 
accomplish  that  result;  consequently  the  soldiers  who 
were  sent  after  Bill  did  not  look  for  him  in  the  immedi- 


124  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 

ate  vicinity,  and  were  therefore  unable  to  execute  the 
order. 

After  nearly  a  month  of  hiding,  under  the  care  of  Wil- 
liams, Bill  had  so  far  recovered  that  he  left  the  ranche 
in  the  company  of  his  friend  Whitney  and  went  to  Ells- 
worth. But  through  fear  of  detection  at  this  point,  he 
left  there  in  a  box  car  on  the  Kansas  Pacific  road  and 
went  to  Junction  City,  where  he  remained  until  his 
wounds  had  entirely  healed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  vicinity  of  Hays  City  being  decidedly  insalubri- 
ous, Wild  Bill,  after  casting  about  some  time  for  a  con- 
genial and  remunerative  occupation,  at  length  decided 
upon  a  novel  speculation,  in  the  firm  belief  that  he  saw  a 
fortune  awaiting  him  in  such  an  engagement.  He  rightly 
divined  that  Niagara  Falls  was  a  place  of  popular  resort 
for  fashionable  people  and  that  these  visitors,  having 
plenty  of  money,  were  willing  to  pay  liberally  for  their 
amusement.  Now,  thought  he,  what  could  afford  so 
much  interest  as  a  buffalo  chase — real,  shaggy,  untamed 
buffaloes,  with  Comanche  Indians  to  lead  the  sport?  The 
idea  did  appear  pregnant  with  large  profit,  and  but  for 
some  mismanagement  would,  no  doubt,  have  paid  very 
handsomely. 

Having  made  up  his  mind,  Bill  at  once  determined  to 
secure  six  fine  buffalos  and  four  Comanche  Indians,  and 
with  this  outfit  he  proposed  to  visit  Niagara  during  the 
summer.  Accordingly,  in  May,  he  set  out  for  the  buf- 
falo feeding  grounds  on  the  Republican  river,  intent  upon 
the  capture  of  animals  for  the  forthcoming  exhibit^***. 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  125 

Reaching  Culbertson,  a  small  village  in  Nebraska,  now 
the  county  seat  of  Hitchcock  county,  Bill  employed  three 
assistants  and  with  them  went  southwest  one  hundred 
miles.  Here  he  found  a  large  herd  of  buffaloes  grazing 
on  the  prairie  a  few  miles  north  of  Beaver  Creek  and 
made  ready  for  the  capture. 

A  very  laughable  circumstance  was  connected  with  the 
exploit  about  to  be  related.  Bill  had  killed  scores  of 
buffaloes,  understood  their  habits  and  was  an  expert 
hunter,  but  he  had  never  undertaken  to  capture  one  of 
these  huge,  unwieldy  animals  alive.  After  duly  consid- 
ering the  matter,  he  adopted  the  most  ludicrous  scheme 
that  ever  entered  a  man's  mind.  He  knew  that  a  drove 
of  horses  could  be  easily  managed  by  tying  their  heads 
together,  and  this  knowledge  prompted  him  to  use  the 
same  means  for  controlling  the  desired  number  of  buf- 
falos. 

In  pursuance  of  his  resolution,  he  prepared  a  number 
of  lassoes  and,  having  everything  ready,  started  on  a 
fleet  horse  for  the  drove.  By  riding  and  driving  judi- 
ciously, he  soon  got  into  the  center  of  the  herd,  which 
numbered  about  five  hundred,  but  with  all  his  persever- 
ance he  could  not  satisfactorily  adjust  his  lassoes,  on 
account  of  the  low  position  in  which  a  running  buffalo 
carries  his  head.  Seeing  that  little  could  be  accomplished 
while  on  horseback,  he  decided  to  abandon  his  horse  and 
ride  the  buffaloes,  which  were  pressed  so  closely  together 
that  he  could  easily  slide  from  one  to  the  other.  Acting 
upon  this  determination,  he  removed  the  bridle  from  his 
horse,  so  that  the  reins  might  not  fall  and  become  entan- 
gled in  the  feet  of  the  horse  or  the  buffaloes,  and  with  his 
gun  in  one  hand  and  lassos  in  the  other,  he  jumped  upon 
the  nearest  buffalo.  But  now  finding  his  gun  an  encum- 
brance, he  rode  the  buffalo  while  tying  the  gun  on  his 


126  HEROES   OP  THE   PLAINS 

back,  and  then  began  the  adjustment  ot  his  laiaoes. 
Bill  presented  a  most  comical  appearance  astride  of  a 
lumbering  bull,  which  plunged  and  snorted  with  fright 
as  though  Satan  himself  were  breaking  him  in.  But  the 
work  of  maintaining  a  proper  position,  while  managing 
his  gun  and  lassoes,  was  a  trulj  perplexing  and  difficult 
task  to  Bill,  which  only  one  accomplished  in  expert  horse- 
manship could  possibly  perform.  The  assistants  kept 
pace  behind,  laughing  at  the  rare  sport  now  developing, 
and  feeling  pretty  certain  that  the  fun  must  continue  for 
some  time,  as  Bill  had  worked  into  the  herd  until  they 
could  see  no  means  for  escape  out  of  the  rushing  ava- 
lanche, unless  he  could  shoot  an  open  furrow  through  the 
stampeded  buffaloes .  But  he  had  only  one  gun  and  his  pair 
of  pistols,  so  this  idea  was  impracticable,  and  with  this 
reflection  Bill's  assistants  grew  suddenly  grave  over  the 
possibility  of  his  destruction.  They  therefore  rode  around 
the  herd,  shouting  and  shooting,  with  the  hope  of  sepa- 
rating them,  but  Bill  objected  to  this  ;  shouting  through 
the  dust  and  roar  of  the  affrighted  animals,  "  Keep  back  ; 
let  'em  run,  and  I'll  lariat  the  whole  drove. " 

After  riding  a  buffalo  thus  furiously  for  several  miles, 
and  having  become  far  removed  from  his  horse,  that  was 
running  with  the  herd,  Bill  concluded,  since  it  was  quite 
impossible  to  throw  the  lasso  successfully,  that  he  would 
place  his  lariats  around  the  horns  of  at  least  six  large 
buffaloes  running  abreast,  and  take  his  chances  for  getting 
out  from  his  uncomfortably  close  position,  and  securing 
his  prize  afterward. 

It  was  a  comparatively  easy  matter  for  him  to  thus  se- 
cure the  required  number  of  animals,  though  the  security 
extended  no  further  than  binding  their  heads  together. 
But  he  reasoned  rightly  that  the  six  thus  tied,  being 
unable  to  freely  move  their  heads,  would  soon  tire  and 


LITE   OF  WILD   BILL.  127 

become  separated  from  the  herd,  a  supposition  which  was 
soon  verified.  Then  his  assistants  came  up,  seeing  him 
ride  one  of  the  selected  buffaloes,  and  throwing  a  long 
lasso  the  animals  were  soon  in  the  grip  of  their  captors. 
Bill's  horse  was  easily  recovered,  for  the  moment  the 
herd  separated  he  returned  to  the  horses  ridden  by  Bill's 
assistants 

It  was  a  long  way  back  to  a  settlement,  however,  and 
a  much  greater  distance  to  a  railroad  station.  How  to 
drive  the  buffaloes  was  then  the  conundrum.  It  was 
finally  determined  that  two  men  should  ride  on  each  side 
of  the  herd  with  lassoes  attached  so  as  to  pull  the  buf- 
faloes in  any  required  direction.  But  the  brutes  proved 
unruly  as  a  contrary  pig,  and  ran  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  backward  and  forward,  until  the  horses  and  men 
were  tired  out.  To  obtain  a  necessary  rest,  the  buffaloes 
were  tied  to  a  tree  and  kept  there  for  nearly  two  hours, 
until  the  horses  had  been  fed,  watered  and  well  rested. 
During  this  breathing  spell  the  idea  occurred  to  one  of 
the  assistants  that  the  buffaloes  would  drive  much  better 
if  they  were  hobbled.  "  Well,"  said  Bill,  when  the  sug- 
gestion was  made,  "it  is  singular  I  hadn't  thought  of 
that  before  ;  suppose  you  prepare  some  hobbles  and  put 
them  on.'' 

But  he  was  not  so  much  surprised  at  the  suggestion  as 
he  sought  to  make  his  assistants  believe,  for  it  was  the 
hope  that  some  of  his  men  would  try  the  experiment  that 
prompted  him  to  reply  in  the  manner  he  did. 

One  of  the  men  was  a  herder  and  understood  hobbling 
a  steer  or  mule,  but  it  is,  nevertheless,  certain  that  he  did 
not  know  anything  about  hobbling  buffaloes — until  after 
his  first  experience.  Having  everything  prepared  he 
approached  one  of  the  animals  which,  though  its  head 
was  fast,  had  the  free  use  of  its  hind  quarters.  Just  as 


128  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

the  cow-boy  was  in  the  act  of  slipping  the  noose  around 
the  buffalo's  fore-leg  the  brute  whirled  its  quarters 
and  planted  its  hind  foot  on  the  shoulder  of  the  aston- 
ished hobbler.  Did  you  ever  see  a  professional  tumbler 
turn  backward  handsprings  around  a  circus  ring,  observ- 
ing how  rapidly  he  revolved  ?  That  cow-bow  resembled 
an  expert  tumbler  for  all  the  world.  He  just  literally 
got  up  and  spun  through  the  air,  as  though  he  had  been 
reeled  off  a  spinning-wheel  by  a  country  maid.  And 
when  he  lit  there  stood  the*  buffalo  about  fifteen  feet 
away  looking  as  demure  and  melancholy  as  though  he  had 
lost  his  hind  leg  more  than  a  week  before.  These  men 
never  laughed  more  heartily  nor  did  one  ever  feel  so 
grieviously  humbled  as  was  that  quartette  of  buffalo 
catchers.  The  animals  were  not  hobbled. 

After  two  weeks  of  the  most  tedious  work  the  six  buf- 
faloes were  brought  to  Ogallala,  and  from  thence  over 
the  Union  Pacific  to  Omaha,  where  they  were  kept  until 
Bill  could  conclude  arrangements  with  the  necessary 
number  of  Comanche  Indians,  of  southern  Indian  Terri- 
tory. Four  excellent  specimens  of  that  tribe  were 
secured,  one  of  whom  had  a  cinnamon  bear  and  another 
a  large  monkey ;  as  these  two  animals  were  deemed 
curiosities  which  might  be  advantageously  used  in  the 
Niagara  entertainment,  they  were  also  engaged,  and  the 
menagerie  moved  from  Omaha  for  Niagara  Falls  on  the 
twenty-second  of  June. 

After  reaching  his  destination  Wild  Bill  set  about  con- 
cluding arrangements  for  the  entertainment.  A  large  lot 
of  ground  was  secured  on  the  Canadian  shore  and  a  suit- 
able enclosure  erected.  During  the  time  these  prepara- 
tions were  being  made  the  Indians  exhibited  their  bear 
and  monkey,  deriving  considerable  profit  therefrom. 

The  ohas©  being  duly  advertised  for  the  20th  of  July, 


LITE   OF   WILD   BILL. 


129 


an  immense  crowd  of  people  assembled  to  witness  the 
novel  sight.  As  the  enclosure  was  necessarily  very  large, 
Bill  did  not  deem  it  advisable  to  build  a  high  board  fence 
to  obstruct  an  outside  view,  thinking  that  the  people  who 
were  interested  in  the  exhibition  would  contribute  quite 
as  liberally  if  he  passed  his  hat  around  among  them. 


The  Aboriginal  Part  of  the  Outfit. 

The  buffaloes  were  brought  out  in  cages  and  at  the 
appointed  time  were  turned  loose,  with  the  Indians,  who 
were  decked  in  war  paint,  leather  breeches  and  eagle 
feathers,  in  full  pursuit,  mounted  on  ponies.  Several 
gentlemen,  visitors  at  the  Falls,  having  provided  them- 


130  HEBOES  10F  THE 

selves  with  horses,  also  entered  the  chase,  and  a  hundred 
yelping  pet  curs  and  poodles  lent  their  assistance  to  make 
the  occasion  excitingly  interesting.  The  Indians,  yelling 
as  only  Comanches  can,  chased  the  affrighted  huff  aloes 
round  and  round  the  enclosure,  showing  at  the  same  time 
their  superb  horsemanship,  by  executing  the  most  difficult 
feats,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  crowd.  During  the 
chase  Bill  moved  among  the  spectators  with  his  big  som- 
brero extended,  giving  every  one  a  chance  to  contribute. 
But  after  filing  and  pushing  through  the  assemblage  of 
nearly  five  thousand  people,  he  emerged  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  his  expensive  exhibition,  and  found  that  the  en» 
tire  contribution  amounted  to  just  $123.86  ;  the  expenses 
at  the  same  time  were  $1,279.30,  leaving  a  balance  sheet 
showing  a  loss  of  more  than  $1,000. 

When  the  Indians  had  returned  again  with  the  recap- 
tured buffaloes,  Bill  was  confronted  with  a  bill  of 
expenses — novel  but  importunate.  During  the  excite- 
ment the  bear  had  been  left  muzzled  and  tied  to  a  stake,  and 
the  monkey  in  his  cage.  Of  course  these  curiosities  had 
their  votaries,  and  some  one,  in  a  spirit  of  mischief,  had 
removed  the  muzzle  and  unloosed  the  bear,  hoping  to  get 
up  a  counter  attraction  in  the  meantime .  The  mischievous 
fellow,  whoever  he  was,  did  not  suffer  a  disappointment. 
There  was  a  heavy  bearded  Italian  in  the  crowd  selling 
Vienna  sausages,  and  another  dressed  in  sailor's  garb 
stood  on  a  box  singing  songs,  for  which  he  expected  a 
small  consideration.  When  the  peddler  came  up  near  the 
bear  the  smell  of  fresh  sausage  was  too  much  for  the 
hungry  animal  to  forego  investigating,  and  being  loose, 
he  turned  quickly  on  the  Italian  with  the  intention  of 
capturing  the  savory  meats.  The  poor  feDow,  frightened 
to  the  limit  of  his  senses,  let  go  his  platter  and  tried  to 
,  but  the  bear  grabbed  him  in  its  large  paws  and  tore 


OF  WTU>  BILL. 


his  checked  overshirt  into  shreds,  though  giving  his  body 
only  a  few  scratches.  Some  of  the  bystanders  rushed  to 
Ihe  rescue,  and  one  bolder  than  the  rest  seized  the  bear 


The  Bear  and  the  Sausages. 

in  his  arms  and  held  it  fast  until  the  sausage  man  recov- 
ered the  full  use  of  his  heels.  Having  been  raised  from 
a  small  cub  by  its  Indian  owner,  the  bear  developed  no 


132  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

dangerous  qualities  and  was  tied  again  without  difficulty. 

When  Bill  came  in  he  was  told  of  the  side-show  which, 
had  opened  doors  during  the  chase,  and  the  trembling 
Italian  greeted  him  with  a  demand  for  damages.  After 
some  parleying  Bill  purchased  a  new  shirt  for  the  irate 
but  still  badly  scared  fellow  and  then  exhausted  his  de- 
tective ability  in  an  effort  to  discover  who  unloosed  the 
bear — but  he  failed  signally. 

The  pecuniary  failure  of  the  buffalo  chase  now  brought 
with  it  many  troubles  for  Bill.  He  had  not  only  spent 
every  cent  he  could  raise  inaugurating  the  enterprise,  but 
still  owed  sundry  bills  for  hotel  accommodations,  care 
for  his  animals  and  entertainment  for  the  Indians.  He 
was  hopelessly  "  busted,"  and  just  there,  as  if  to  add 
insult  to  his  other  mortifications,  a  dapper  Englishman, 
wearing  a  single  eye-glass,  sauntered  up  to  him  and  su- 
perciliously accosted  him  with : 

"  See  'ere,  my  friend,  h'are  you  h'an  Indian  h'or  a 
white  man?" 

In  a  perfect  frenzy  Bill  struck  the  impudent  foreigner 
a  blow  in  the  glass  eye  that  sent  him  plowing  up  the 
ground  ten  feet  away,  following  the  blow  with  the  re- 
mark : 

"  That's  the  kind  of  a  man  I  am  ;  do  you  want  to  ex- 
tend the  acquaintance  any  further?" 

I4"  is  only  proper  to  state,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  cu- 
riosity of  the  reader,  that  the  Englishman  manifested  no 
disposition  to  become  better  acquainted,  as  the  intimacy 
had  already  been  disagreeably  close. 

Being  unable  to  satisfy  any  of  the  demands  made 
against  him,  Bill  was  left  no  other  recourse  than  that  of 
transferring  the  ownership  of  his  buffaloes.  The  Indians 
were  compelled  to  part  company  with  their  bear  and 
monkey.  With  the  balance  left  them,  after  paying  all 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  133 

bills,  they  were  enabled  to  accompany  Bill  back  to  Kan- 
sas, and  return  to  their  reservation.  The  pleasure  of  the 
trip,  which  had  enabled  them  to  see  so  much  of  the  white 
man's  civilization,  seemed  to  fully  satisfy  them  for  their 
services,  for  they  made  no  demand  on  their  employer  for 
compensation. 

When  Wild  Bill  reached  Kansas  he  found,  to  his  de- 
light, that  Gen.  Sheridan  and  the  Seventh  U.  S.  Cavalry 
had  left  Hays  City,  and  he  was,  therefore,  relieved  of 
any  apprehensions  regarding  his  personal  safety  in  that 
section  of  country.  It  was  his  intention,  after  learning 
this  fact,  to  resume  his  duties  at  Hays,  provided  he 
could  again  secure  the  office  of  marshal ;  but,  stopping 
at  Abilene  a  few  days  to  see  some  friends,  he  was  sur- 
prised by  an  offer  to  make  him  marshal  of  that  place. 
As  the  salary  was  entirely  satisfactory  Bill  concluded  to 
accept  the  position,  especially  since  adverse  circumstances 
had  entirely  exhausted  his  exchequer  and  immediate  oc- 
cupation was  therefore  essentially  necessary. 

When  Bill  became  the  custodian  of  the  peace  at  Hays 
City  he  found  a  town  just  about  as  full  of  iniquity  as  he 
thought  it  possible  to  discover  on  the  continent;  but 
while  Hays  was  only  comfortably  full  of  the  Devil's  emis- 
saries, Abilene  was  running  over  and  bursting  out  at  the 
side  with  the  very  double  distilled  essence  of  depravity. 
The  town,  with  less  than  one  thousand  permanent  resi- 
dents, was  filled  with  so  much  vileness  that  the  very  at- 
mosphere appeared  impregnated  with  the  odor  of  abomi- 
nation ;  murder  ran  riot,  drunkenness  was  the  rule,  gam- 
bling a  universal  pastime,  fighting  a  recreation,  and  the 
mischief  to  pay  generally  the  engrossing  occupation. 

There  was  one  chief  reason  why  Abilene  reveled  in 
greater  wickedness  than  any  other  Kansas  town,  and  her 
citizens  are  in  a  measure  excusable  because  they  were 


134 


HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 


helpless.  The  place  was  one  of  much  importance,  owiug 
to  the  fact  that  it  had  become  the  central  shipping  point 
for  the  cattle  raised  in  Texas,  New  Mexico  and  Indian 
Territory.  Every  day  great  herds  of  cattle  were  driven 
in,  and  accompanying  the  herds  were  scores  of  reckless 
cow-boy  sand  owners,  who  regarded  nothing  with  so  much 


as  the  meanest  brands  of  fighting  whisky.  After 
filling  the  pens  these  men  invariably  traveled  to  some 
saloon,  on  as  straight  a  line  as  the  honey-laden  bee,  and 
like  a  dry  fish  thrown  back  into  its  element,  they  absorbed 
vitriol-adulterated  liquids  until  some  desperate  act  was 


UFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  135 

almost  certain  to  conclude  the  spree.  The  large  cattle 
transactions  at  the  pens  made  money  abundant  at  Abilene, 
and  as  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil,  every  one  in  the  place 
managed  to  secure  a  large  portion  of  the  root.  Gambling 
followed  as  a  consequence,  and,  preserving  the  natural 
sequence,  shooting  and  stabbing  became  of  daily  occur- 
rence. 

This  was  the  condition  of  society  in  Abilene  when 
Wild  Bill  received  his  commission  and  began  to  carry  a 
club  as  the  insignia  of  his  office.  Of  course  there  was 
much  in  his  favor,  for,  though  rhapsodizing  sentimental- 
ists may  enquire,  "What's  in  a  name?"  it  was  very  ap- 
parent that  in  the  name  of  Wild  Bill  many  bullies  intui- 
tively saw  a  grim  harbinger  of  their  fate  if  their  carnival 
of  crime  remained  unchecked. 

Among  the  most  desperate  men  on  the  border,  who  had 
killed  several  men  and  "  stampeded  "  nearly  all  the  West- 
ern towns,  was  a  small,  black-eyed,  prof essional gambler, 
named  Phil  Cole.  He  had  no  regular  abiding  place,  but 
striking  Abilene  he  found  that  town  so  well  suited  to  his 
calling  and  disposition  that,  to  use  a  Western  phrase, 
"he  got  his  washing  done  in  that  hole"  for  several 
months. 

Within  two  days  after  Bill's  appointment  as  marshal, 
Phil  Cole,  in  company  with  another  desperado  named 
Jack  Harvey,  got  on  one  of  his  accustomed  tears,  and 
regardless  of  the  new  officer,  he  began  his  usual  indis- 
criminate destruction  of  property,  smashing  windows, 
kicking  in  doors,  insulting  women,  firing  his  pistol,  and 
sundry  other  malicious  acts  which  demanded  Bill's  inter- 
ference. Jack  Harvey  was  a  companion  of  Cole  in  all 
these  villainous  proceedings  and  the  two  were  permitted 
the  free  exercise  of  their  devilish  proclivities  until  Bill, 
m  company  with  his  deputy,  Jim  Me  Williams,  put  in  an 


136 


HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 


objection.  McWilliams  was  well  acquainted  with  Cole 
and  knew  that  some  one  would  get  badly  hurt  unless  the 
gambler  could  be  pacified.  Approaching  him  in  a 
friendly  spirit  he  tried  to  induce  Cole  to  give  up  his  pis- 
tols, but  in  doing  this  Bill,  standing  off  a  few  feet, 
ordered  the  gambler  to  surrender.  This  order  only 
served  to  precipitate  the  conflict,  for  Cole  immediately 


Wild  Bill  Accidentally  Kills  a  Friend. 

fired  at  Bill,  but  as  McWilliams  had  hold  of  his  arm  th* 
shot  proved  ineffectual.  Bill  now  drew  his  own  pistol 
and  fired  at  Cole,  but  at  the  same  instant  the  gambler  in 
wrestling  with  McWilliams  threw  him  in  front  in  such 
manner  that  the  faithful  deputy  received  the  bullet  in  his 
heart  and  fell  over  dead.  Cole  now  again  raised  his  pis- 
tol, but  er«  ha  pulled  the  trigger  a  shot  from  Bill' a 


LIFE  OF  WILD  BILL.  137 

weapon  penetrated  the  gambler's  brain,  marking  him  for 
the  second  victim.  Up  to  this  time  Jack  Harvey  had  re- 
mained a  mute  spectator  of  the  tragic  proceedings,  but 
seeing  his  partner  in  the  agonies  of  death  he  pulled  his 
pistol  and  fired  at  Bill,  the  ball  passing  through  his  hat 
and  cutting  off  a  lock  of  hair.  But  this  proved  Harvey's 
last  shot;  he  had  falsely  reckoned,  and  for  it  paid  the 
usual  penalty.  The  smoke  had  hardly  swept  out  of  the 
muzzle  of  his  weapon  when  the  deadly  aim  of  Wild  Bill 
accomplished  its  work.  Poor  Jack,  a  good  fellow  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  forfeited  his  right  to  Bill's  clem- 
ency and  when  he  went  down  there  was  a  bullet-hole 
through  his  heart. 

No  act  of  Bill's  whole  life  ever  caused  him  such  an- 
guish of  mind,  such  poignant  grief,  as  the  accidental 
killing  of  Me  Williams.  The  two  had  been  old  friends — 
bosom  friends  in  fact — and  that  his  death  should  come 
in  such  a  manner  was  abundant  reason  for  the  inex- 
pressible sorrow  Bill  felt.  Years  afterward  tears  would 
start  instantly  in  Bill's  eyes  at  the  mention  or  remem- 
brance of  his  friend's  death. 

The  killing  of  Cole  was  regarded  by  the  community  as 
a  "  Christian  act,"  because  it  was  like  ridding  the  coun- 
try of  a  ferocious  and  destructive  beast ;  but  to  make  the 
act  yet  more  righteous  Bill  raised  the  necessary  money 
with  which  to  give  his  victims  decent  burial. 

On  one  occasion,  during  a  visit  of  Wild  Bill  to  Hays 
City,  after  assuming  the  conservatorship  of  Abilene' s 
peace,  he  met  with  an  adventure  which  has  in  it  all  the 
elements  of  an  anecdote.  At  the  time  referred  to  it 
chanced  that  a  professional  pugilist  named  Patterson, 
from  New  York,  had  become  a  Hays  City  transient  and 
had  organized  a  school  for  training  the  combatively  dis- 
posed people  of  that  town  in  the  art  of  pugilism.  He 


138  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

had  several  ambitious  scholars  who  made  such  progress 
that  the  Professor  decided  to  give  an  entertaiment  in  the 
place  and  thus  demonstrate  the  results  of  his  instructions. 
Among  those  in  attendance — and  the  whole  population 
was  present — to  witness  the  miniature  arenic  bouts  on 
the  improvised  stage  was  Wild  Bill,  drawn  thither  by  a 
natural  curiosity. 

The  novel  entertainment  proved  a  grand  success ;  so 
much  in  fact  that  several  new  scholars  were  enrolled  for 
the  succeeding  term.  After  the  exhibition  had  concluded, 
the  Professor  took  a  stroll  down  town — which  means  that 
he  paid  a  visit  to  the  most  popular  saloon  for  a  "  night 
cap  "  before  retiring.  In  the  saloon  he  found  the  usual 
crowd,  and  of  course  a  conversation  was  at  once  started 
on  pugilism  and  the  qualifications  of  noted  Western  char- 
acters. Wild  Bill  was  mentioned  as  being  the  handiest 
man  out  West,  a  good  shooter,  skillful  fighter,  and  brave 
to  rashness.  In  reply  to  the  panegyrics  offered  by  the 
crowd  on  Bill,  the  Professor  said : 

"Now,  look  here,  I've  heard  a  great  deal  about  this 
man  Wild  Bill ;  I  would  like  very  much  to  meet  him,  and 
if  he's  got  the  pluck  to  stand  before  me  I'll  show  you 
how  little  he  knows  about  the  manly  art." 

One  of  the  party  responded  :  *  *  If  you  would  like  to  see 
him,  just  look  over  toward  that  corner  (pointing  to  Bill)  ; 
that  man  wearing  a  sombrero  and  drinking  with  Buffalo 
Bill  is  the  person  you  want." 

"Good  enough,"  answered  the  Professor,  and  step- 
ping to  Bill  he  touched  our  hero  on  the  shoulder  and 
addressed  him : 

"  I  understand  that  your  name  is  Wild  Bill,  and  that 
you  carry  around  in  your  clothes  the  reputation  of  being 
the  boss  fighter  in  the  West." 

"Where  did  you  get  your  information?'*  responded 
Bill. 


LIFE   OF  WILD  BILL.  139 

"Why,  all  the  boys  declare  you  have  got  away  with 
every  one  that  has  tackled  you  yet.  But  I  want  to  say 
that  while  I  am  in  this  country  I  am  boss ;  that's  my 
business,  and  I'm  ready  to  demonstrate  my  claims." 

"Well,"  said  Bill  (drawing  two  pistols),  "I'll  just 
shoot  a  hole  through  each  of  your  ears,  so  that  we'll  all 
know  you  hereafter ;  the  boss  ought  to  carry  his  private 
mark." 

"Hold  on,  hold  on,"  said  the  Professor,  "I  don't 
mean  that  I'm  a  pistol  fighter;  I'll  grant  you  the  de- 
served reputation  as  the  best  pistol  shot  on  the  plains  ; 
but  I  can  prove  my  claim  as  the  best  man  on  the  muscle, 
and  if  you  doubt  my  ability  drop  your  pistols  and  shie 
your  castor." 

The  bantering  tone  of  the  Professor  made  Bill  mad  as 
«,  wounded  catamount,  and  giving  his  weapons  to  Buffalo 
Bill  he  sailed  into  the  pugilist  like  a  red-hot  ball  from  a 
columbiad.  For  several  minutes  the  furniture  in  the 
room  flew  about,  mixing  with  legs  and  arms,  while  the 
boys  stood  around  deeply  interested  in  the  fight.  Tim 
Finnegan's  wake  was  like  a  candy-pulling  compared  with 
the  music  of  this  memorable  battle,  for  it  developed  into 
a  veritable  cyclone  of  furious  laughter. 

Is  it  necessaiy  to  tell  the  reader  that  Wild  Bill  was 
victorious?  Of  course  not,  for  if  he  had  been  as  badly 
Whipped  as  the  Professor  was  no  mention  would  have 
been  made  of  this  encounter.  The  fact  is,  the  Professor 
was  so  outrageously  threshed — like  the  game  cock  of  many 
victories,  who,  after  one  bad.  defeat,  never  plumes  his 
feathers  with  the  oil  of  courage  again — that  it  spoiled  all 
the  reputation  on  which  he  had  so  successfully  traveled; 
the  proper  thing  he  realized  was  to  indefinitely  postpone 
the  ensuing  school  session  and  search  for  new  fields,  which, 
let  us  hope,  he  found  more  fruitful  for  his  purposes. 


140  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 


CHAPTEBXI. 

THERE  was  comparative  peace  in  Abilene,  after  the 
Cole  triple  tragedy,  until  the  holidays,  when  another 
fight  occurred  in  which  there  were  several  seriously  dam- 
aged skulls,  but  no  deaths.  On  the  26th  of  December, 
1870,  a  dozen  Texan  cattle  men  concluded  to  take  the 
municipality  by  storm,  as  it  were,  and  their  preparatory 
arrangements,  as  a  matter  of  course,  consisted  of  an 
ample  filling  up  with  Abilene  whisky.  Among  this  num- 
ber of  "  thoroughbreds,"  as  they  styled  themselves,  was 
the  owner  of  one  of  the  largest  ranches  in  the  Lone  Star 
State.  His  name  is  withheld  for  obvious  reasons,  as  he 
is  still  living,  and  a  publication  of  the  incidents  about  to 
be  recorded,  together  with  his  real  name  and  the  impious 
part  he  subsequently  played,  would,  certainly,  be  followed 
by  legal  perplexities.  These  interferences  would  not  be 
regarded  but  for  the  fact  that  the  necessary  witnesses 
would  be  hard  to  find  if  indeed  they  could  be  at  all. 
But  the  facts  will  not  be  departed  from  one  jot  or  tittle, 
and  in  order  to  preserve  the  identity  of  this  individual,  he 
will  be  called  "  Assassin  Bledsoe." 

This  bloody-minded  twelve  began  their  carousals  by 
breaking  into  a  harness  shop,  brutally  beating  the  pro- 
prietor and  stealing  a  number  of  bull-whips.  With  these 
they  sallied  out  and  attacked  everyone  they  could  meet 
on  the  street,  cutting  right  and  left,  administering  the 
severest  punishment  on  several  individuals  and  defying 
the  authority  of  the  entire  town.  None  of  them  display- 
ing any  weapons,  this  fact  led  Wild  Bill  to  believe  that 
the  unruly  crowd  might  be  controlled  without  bloodshed, 
lie  therefore  called  a  few  citizens  to  his  assistance  and 
undertook  the  difficult  job  of  arresting  the  drunken 


LIFE   OF   WILD    BILL.  141 

By  chance  Bill  first  accosted  Assassin  Bledsoe  in  his 
usual  manner,  using  mild  but  pointed  language.  Instead 
of  obeying  the  injunction,  "Come  with  me,"  Bledsoe 
curled  the  bull-whip  he  carried  over  his  head  and  strik- 
ing Bill  on  the  arm,  it  cracked  with  a  pistol-like  report. 
The  whip-stroke  cut  almost  like  a  knife,  and  the  pain  it 
produced  was  just  enough  to  make  Bill  feel  like  killing 
some  one,  especially  Bledsoe.  Raising  his  club  he  dashed 
at  the  Texan  and  delivered  a  blow  that  laid  open  the  skin 
on  Bledsoe' s  head  for  a  length  of  three  inches.  This 
precipitated  a  general  fight  in  which  the  citizens  who 
were  deputized  and  the  Texan  crowd  mixed  indiscrimi- 
nately. Clubs  and  stones  were  the  only  weapons  used, 
but  in  the  hands  of  infuriated  men  these  were  very  dan- 
gerous and  the  result  was  something  terrible  enough  for 
the  most  morbid  appetite.  Blood  was  streaming  from 
numerous  heads,  arms  were  broken,  bodies  frightfully 
bruised  and  demoralization  was  pictured  on  every  par- 
ticipant. Bill  was  the  central  figure  in  the  fight,  for  be- 
ing regarded  as  a  kind  of  standard  bearer  the  Texans 
were  anxious  to  take  his  colors.  But  he  displayed  the 
cool  intrepidity  which  had  made  his  name  so  celebrated, 
and  though  struck  hard  with  stones,  he  kept  his  feet  and 
wielded  a  club  like  Hercules  before  the  Hydra.  The 
deputies  being  reinforced  by  a  number  of  other  citizens, 
at  length  closed  the  battle  with  acknowledged  victory. 
The  wounded  were  carried  to  the  nearest  houses  and  nec- 
essary surgical  attention  given  them.  The  most  serious 
injury  was  that  received  by  Assassin  Bledsoe,  who  was 
compelled  to  keep  his  bed  for  nearly  two  weeks,  and  the 
greatest  care  was  required  to  prevent  inflammation  of  the 
brain,  from  which  he  would  have  certainly  died. 

During  this  period  of   dangerous  illness,  Bledsoe  de- 
clared to  his  attendants,  under  oath,  with  uplifted  hand  in 


142  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

attestation  of  his  determination,  that  if  life  were  spared 
him  he  would  have  Wild  Bill's  heart.  When  this  threat 
of  vengeance  was  conveyed  to  Bill  he  gave  it  no  special 
concern,  as  perhaps  a  hundred  others  had  vowed  to 
satisfy  the  same  revenge  ;  it  was  only  another  admonition 
for  him  to  be  always  on  the  alert  and  watchful  against 
the  strategies  of  his  enemies. 

After  Assassin  Bledsoe  had  fully  recovered  from  his 
wound  he  returned  directly  to  his  home  in  Texas  and 
conceived  one  of  the  most  dastardly,  cowardly  and  vil- 
lainous purposes  ever  brought  forth  by  a  naturally 
infernal  mind.  Being  well  acquainted  with  all  the  miser- 
able, sneaking  characters  of  his  neighborhood,  some  of 
whom  were  dependent  upon  him  for  employment ;  men 
whose  desires  and  ambitions  never  rose  above  a  full 
whisky  bottle,  and  to  whose  plastic  natures  a  trifling 
consideration  was  sufficient  for  killing  any  man  from  a 
covert  by  the  highway.  Knowing,  as  he  did,  eight  such 
persons  specially  qualified  for  his  designs,  Bledsoe  sent 
for  them  and  contrived  a  meeting  in  an  old  barn  which 
stood  some  distance  from  his  house.  These  eight  mon- 
sters of  iniquity  met  their  cowardly  employer  as  per 
agreement,  and  that  the  design  might  lose  none  of  its 
black  hideousness  the  meeting  took  place  under  the  cover 
of  darkness.  A  jug  of  whisky  played  the  part  of  a 
needful  accessory,  and  when  its  influence  became  per- 
ceptible Bledsoe  disclosed  his  purpose.  With  what 
words  he  addressed  his  coterie  of  criminals  no  one  knows 
but  themselves,  but  it  is  definitely  known  that  Bledsoe 
acquainted  these  men  with  his  desire  to  possess  the  heart 
of  Wild  Bill ,  and  that  he  therefore  offered  them  the  sum 
of  $5,000  in  gold  if  they  would  kill  him  and  take  out  his 
heart  as  an  evidence  that  the  deed  had  been  consuming 
ted.  He  first  bound  them  by  a  terrible  oath  not  to 


LIFE    OP   WILD   BILL.  143 

divulge  a  word  of  the  compact  about  to  be  made  nor  of 
anything  connected  with  the  meeting  in  the  barn.  The 
terms  of  this  desperate  contract  were  that,  under  no  cir- 
cumstances, was  his  name  to  be  discovered  to  anyone  as 
the  employer  of  their  services  for  this  dark  deed ;  that 
the  sum  of  $50  should  be  given  to  each  man  to  pay  ex- 
penses of  the  trip  to  Abilene,  and  that  in  addition  to  this 
money  $5,000  in  gold  was  to  be  divided  equally  between 
them  on  the  day  that  Wild  Bill's  heart  should  be  de- 
livered to  Bledsoe,  and  that  the  place  of  meeting  for  the 
completion  of  the  contract  should  be  at  the  old  barn. 
To  all  these  articles  of  the  agreement  the  eisrht  villains 

O  O 

readily  assented,  and  being  at  once  provided  with  money 
for  the  trip,  on  the  second  day  thereafter  they  started  for 
Abilene.  Reaching  that  town,  instead  of  waylaying  Bill, 
as  Bledsoe  expected,  the  impious  crowd  of  hired  assassins, 
never  having  had  so  much  money  at  one  time  before  dur- 
ing their  existence,  could  not  resist  the  temptation  cf  so 
many  saloons,  and  gave  way  at  once  to  the  cravings  of 
their  unnatural  appetites ;  as  a  consequence  they  drank 
until  every  one  became  hilariously  drunk.  While  in  this 
condition  one  of  the  men  disclosed  (though  in  disjointed 
sentences)  the  object  of  their  visit  to  Abilene.  A  friend 
of  Bill's  hearing  the  asseverations  of  the  drunken  assas- 
sin plied  him  with  such  questions  as  brought  out  the  en- 
tire scheme  for  the  murder ;  and  being  satisfied  that  the 
plan  had  been  truthfully  revealed,  though  by  an  irre- 
sponsibly drunken  fellow,  he  lost  no  time  in  acquainting 
Bill  with  the  purposes  of  the  eight  men. 

Bill  received  the  information  with  thanks,  but  exhibited 
no  uneasiness.  He  instructed  his  friend  to  return  to  the 
crowd  and  by  some  means  which  would  not  excite  suspi- 
cion, inform  them  that  he  (Wild  Bill)  was  going  down  to 
Topeka  on  the  nine  o'clock  express.  This  information 


144  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS, 

the  friend  duly  imparted  to  the  Texans,  at  the  same  tim& 
dropping  several  hints  that  his  pistols  had  become  useless 
and  he  was  going  to  Topeka  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing 
anew  pair. 

This  little  piece  of  clever  strategy  worked  with  such 
great  success  that  their  discomfiture  was  complete.  Bill 
became  a  passenger  on  the  east  bound  express  train,  and 
chuckled  as  he  saw  the  hired  murderers  take  the  coach 
next  the  baggage  car.  Their  idea  was  that  Bill  could  be 
readily  influenced  to  pass  from  one  car  to  the  other  upon 
an  invitation  to  join  them  in  a  game  of  cards,  or  a  pre- 
tended acquaintance,  and  while  on  the  platform  it  was 
arranged  that  he  should  be  stabbed  and  thrown  from  the 
car.  If  this  very  choice  scheme  had  not  miscarried,  the 
band  of  assassins  could  have  left  the  train  at  the  first  sta- 
tion and  walking  back  to  their  victim  cut  out  his  heart 
without  there  being  a  witness  to  their  consummate  villainy. 

But  the  scheme  did  not  work.  About  an  hour  after 
the  train  left  Abilene,  or  shortly  after  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  Bill  concluded  that  now  was  the  time  for  him  to 
act,  as  most  of  the  passengers  would  be  asleep.  Know- 
ing about  where  his  would-be  murderers  sat,  Bill  walked 
through  the  car,  opened  the  door  and  drew  his  two  ivory- 
handled  pistols.  Reaching  the  door  of  the  car  in  which 
the  eight  sat,  he  peeped  through  a  moment  to  discover 
their  exact  positions  ;  he  then  threw  open  the  door  and 
walked  quickly  up  the  passage  way.  In  another  moment 
the  assassins  saw  him,  and  as  they  also  saw  a  large  pistol 
in  each  hand,  their  impious  hearts  fluttered  with  the  fear 
which  immediately  possessed  them.  Bill  drew  his  wea- 
pons so  as  to  cover  the  band,  and  then  in  a  voice  which 
indicated  his  resolution,  he  said : 

"  Now,  you  infernal  scoundrels,  get  out  of  this  car  in- 
stantly or  I'll  make  buzzard  food  of  your  carcasses.  Gtet 


LUTE   OF  WILD   BILI*.  145 

out,  and  off  this  train  or  I'll  kill  you  as  I  would  a  pack 
of  cowardly  wolves.  If  it  wasn't  for  disturbing  the  pas- 
sengers I'd  kill  you  in  the  car,  but  I'm  going  to  either 
make  you  jump  off  this  train  or  I'll  shoot  you  off." 

While  addressing  them  in  this  threatening  manner,  he 
drove  the  men  before  him,  and  as  they  believed  he 
would  shoot  anyhow,  the  entire  eight  stampeded  in  their 
efforts  to  get  out  of  the  car,  and  when  the  platform  was 
reached  they  leaped  off  into  the  cut  through  which  the 
train  was  running  at  a  speed  of  thirty  miles  an  hour.  In 
the  fall  one  of  the  villains  was  killed  and  three  others  so 
seriously  hurt  that  they  had  to  be  carried  off  by  their 
comrades.  This  ended  the  efforts  made  by  Assassin 
Bledsoe  to  secure  Wild  Bill's  heart,  notwithstanding  his 
desperate  oath ;  neither  did  he  have  the  gratification  of 
attending  his  enemy's  funeral ;  in  fact,  after  this,  he 
lived  for  nearly  six  years  in  constant  dread  lest  Bill  should 
find  and  kill  him. 

On  Bill's  return  from  Topeka,  after  this  novel  adven- 
ture with  eight  cowardly  villains,  he  stopped  two  days  at 
Ellsworth  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  a  somewhat  noted 
beauty  of  that  place,  named  Emma  Williams,  whose 
charms  had  made  an  impression  on  the  softer  portion  of 
his  heart. 

Visiting  this  gay  siren  of  fatal  beauty  at  the  same  time 
was  a  big  bully  named  Bill  Thompson,  and  thus  the  two 
Bills  met  under  circumstances  especially  favorable  for  the 
excitement  of  a  fresh  killing.  Added  to  this  jealous  ri- 
valry, Thompson  was  moved  by  a  spirit  of  revenge  for 
having  suffered  arrest  at  the  hands  of  Wild  Bill  nearly  a 
year  previously.  Miss  Williams,  finding  two  dangerous 
lovers  at  her  shrine,  and  both  equally  importunate  for  her 
favors,  was  compelled  to  choose  between  them.  Fortu- 
nately for  Bill,  his  handsome  face  and  physique  secured 


146  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 

the  coveted  favor,  while  the  coarse,  uncouth,  brutal 
physiognomy  of  Thompson  was  relegated  to  the  realms 
of  woman's  rejection.  This  decision  could  but  culminate, 
in  a  tragedy,  for,  as  is  usual  with  men  of  the  base  charac-. 
teristics  which  distinguished  Thompson,  they  almost  in- 
variably resort  to  foul  means  when  fair  efforts  are  un- 
availing to  accomplish  their  object. 

At  the  dinner  hour,  on  the  17th  day  of  February,  1871, 
Wild  Bill  entered  a  restaurant  in  Ellsworth  and  called  for 
an  oyster  stew  ;  the  tables  of  the  restaurant  were  situated 
between  small  partitions,  as  are  still  frequently  noticed 
in  country  ice-cream  saloons  in  the  West.  He  thought- 
lessly took  a  seat  with  his  back  to  the  door,  a  position,  it 
is  but  proper  to  say,  he  never  afterward  assumed.  As  the 
waiter  returned,  bearing  the  stew  in  a  bowl  on  a  platter, 
Bill  saw  him  exhibit  a  sudden  fright,  and  turning  quickly 
in  his  seat  discovered  Thompson  approaching  and  almost 
in  the  very  act  of  firing  on  him.  Sliding  out  of  his  chair 
with  the  celerity  of  a  flash,  the  movement  was  executed 
with  such  rare  fortune  that  the  ball  from  Thompson's 
pistol  struck  the  dinner  plate  on  the  table  before  Bill, 
shattering  it  into  a  hundred  pieces.  But  ere  the  jealous 
desperado  could  fire  again  Bill  had  jerked  a  small  der- 
ringer from  his  breeches  pocket  and  sent  a  slug  squarely 
into  Thompson's  forehead.  His  plot  to  kill  Bill  had  only 
turned  upon  himself. 

The  waiter's  fright  at  this  sudden  and  tragic  meeting 
of  the  rivals  was  so  great  that  soup,  bowl  and  platter  fell 
from  his  nerveless  grasp,  rattling  in  fragments  on  the 
floor,  adding,  by  the  noise,  much  to  the  general  confu- 
sion which  ensued.  Bill  coolly  resumed  his  position  at 
the  table  and  ordered  the  trembling  waiter  to  bring  him 
the  stew,  giving  no  heed  to  the  unconscious  victim  on  the 
floor;  but  the  waiter  showed  no  such  indifferent,  stand- 


LIFE   OF   WILD    BILL.  147 

ing  in  dumb"  astonishment  and  fright  until  the  restaurant 
filled  with  the  curious  of  the  village.  Being  unable  to 
obtain  the  desired  stew,  Bill  coolly  arose,  filed  through 
the  morbid  crowd  and  hunted  up  another  restaurant, 
where  he  feasted  according  to  his  pleasure.  His  arrest 
followed  soon  after,  but  at  the  preliminary  hearing  a 
clear  case  of  "justifiable  homicide"  was  established,  so 
that  his  detention  was  not  for  more  than  two  hours,  and 
at  night  he  returned  to  Abilene. 

In  June,  1871,  Wild  Bill  was  appointed  U.  S.  Marshal 
at  Hays  City,  or  was  rather  reappointed,  for  he  first 
served  in  that  position  a  short  time  during  1869  ;  but  as 
nothing  of  special  importance  transpired  worthy  of  record 
among  his  spirited  adventures  during  that  period,  the  fact 
was  not  mentioned  in  chronological  sequence. 

Two  months  after  entering,  for  the  second  time,  upon 
the  discharge  of  his  duty  circumstances  required  his  going 
to  Wichita,  Kansas,  where  he  expected  to  arrest  an  of- 
fender who,  it  was  reported,  was  infesting  that  town. 
There  being  no  stage  nor  rail  route  to  Wichita,  Bill  was 
compelled  to  make  the  trip  on  horseback,  a  style  of  travel- 
ing, however,  well  suited  to  his  disposition  and  preference. 

Upon  arriving  at  Wichita,  being  wholly  unacquaint- 
ed in  the  place,  he  directed  his  course  to  a  saloon,  before 
the  door  of  which  he  alighted  and  tied  his  horse.  Enter- 
ing the  saloon,  he  was  somewhat  surprised  to  find  it  con- 
tained not  a  single  soul — the  proprietor,  even,  having 
absented  himself  from  the  business  for  the  time  being. 
However,  desiring  to  rest  himself  and  possibly  obtain 
some  essential  information  concerning  the  offender  of 
whom  he  was  in  search,  Bill  sat  down  and  commenced 
reading  a  newspaper  in  order  to  pass  the  time  until  the 
proprietor  should  return.  While  he  was  thus  engaged 
his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  horseman  who  was  just 


148  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

dismounting  preparatory  to  entering  the  saloon.  Bill 
looked  up  from  his  paper  as  the  stranger  stepped  upon 
the  threshold,  for  he  supposed  the  man  to  be  some  ac- 
quaintance of  the  neighborhood,  and  passed  the  usual 
salutation :  * « Ho  wd '  ye . " 

"  How  are  you?"  returned  the  stranger;  "is  your 
name  Wild  Bill?" 

"That  is  what  I'm  generally  called,"    replied  Bill. 

"Take  that,  then,"  said  the  stranger,  accompanying 
the  words  with  the  instant  production  of  a  pistol  which 
he  fired  so  close  in  Bill's  face  that  the  skin  was  scorch- 
ed. The  bullet,  by  rare  good  fortune,  only  struck  his 
scalp,  cutting  a  furrow  more  than  three  inches  in  length 
and  grazing  the  skull.  It  was  a  desperately  close  call, 
but  another  fortunate  circumstance  was  in  the  fact  that 
Bill  was  so  badly  stunned  by  the  shot  that  he  fell  to  the 
floor  as  if  strieken  dead.  The  stranger,  thinking  that  he 
had  secured  his  victim  beyond  a  doubt,  did  not  deem  it 
necessary  to  fire  another  shot  into  his  body,  but  feeling 
concerned  for  his  own  safety  speedily  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  swiftly  a  way  to  the  south. 

In  a  moment  after  the  shot  was  fired  the  saloon  pro% 
prietor  returned,  and  seeing  Bill  lying  on  the  floor  in  a 
dazed  condition,  quickly  dashed  a  cup  of  water  in  his  face  ; 
then  attempted  to  examine  the  wound,  which  was  bleed- 
ing profusely.  But  Bill  soon  rallied,  and  gaining  con- 
sciousness he  eagerly  inquired  for  the  stranger.  Finding 
that  his  assailant  had  fled,  he  refused  all  offers  of  surgi- 
cal attention,  and  with  the  blood  streaming  down  his 
face,  saturating  his  clothes  and  rendering  his  appearance 
gory  in  the  extreme,  he  gave  pursuit,  first  learning  the 
direction  taken  by  the  would-be  murderer.  Being  well 
mounted  he  gave  rapid  chase,  though  his  horse  was  well 
•pent  by  the  trip  just  made.  The  stranger,  after  riding 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  149 

with  much  speed  for  several  miles,  reined  up,  thinking 
pursuit  would  hardly  be  given  soon  by  any  officer,  and 
least  of  all  by  the  person  who  he  felt  sure  was  dead. 
But  the  pursuer  pushed  rapidly  on,  and  soon  came 
in  sight  of  his  man,  who  permitted  him  to  approach 
within  a  few  hundred  yards  before  discovering  that  it  was 
Wild  Bill  leading  a  chase.  Notwithstanding  his  horse 
was  nearly  exhausted,  he  urged  him  to  his  best  efforts, 
while  the  pursuit  and  flight  developed  into  a  furious  ride, 
one  for  life,  the  other  for  vengeance.  Finding  that  it 
was  impossible  to  overtake  the  stranger,  Bill  had  recourse 
to  his  weapons,  and  firing  as  he  rode  soon  disabled  the 
assassin's  horse  and  directly  afterward  shot  the  man 
through  the  back,  producing  a  slow  and  terribly  painful 
death.  To  make  his  revenge  more  complete,  Bill  raised 
the  head  of  his  dying  victim  and  with  the  long,  keen 
bowie  he  carried  cut  from  the  stranger's  scalp  a  strip  of 
hair  and  flesh  such  as  he  considered  would  correspond  with 
the  portion  extirpated  from  his  own.  With  this  ghastly 
trophy  he  returned  to  Wichita  and  there  had  his  own 
wound  properly  attended  to. 

Subsequently  Bill  learned  that  his  unknown  assailant 
was  a  cousin  of  Phil  Cole  —  also  a  noted  gambler, — who 
had  made  many  threats  to  avenge  his  kinsman's  death, 
and  had  sought  for  opportunities  to  execute  his  purpose, 
only  to  find  at  last  that  in  seeking  revenge  he  had  become 
the  victim  of  a  more  fatal  vengeance. 

As  a  reminder  of  this  bloody  adventure  Bill  carried 
the  piece  of  scalp  cut  from  his  victim's  head  for  many 
years.  'His  brother,  in  communicating  with  the  writer, 
stated  that  Bill  kept  this  ghastly  memento  in  his  pocket- 
book  until  it  became  as  hard  as  a  piece  of  dried  buffalo 
hide,  and  it  is  possible,  if  not  indeed  probable,  that  he 
kept  it  until  death  divided  his  possessions. 


150  HEBOE8   OF  THE  PLAINS. 


CHAPTEK  XII. 

IN  August  following  Wild  Bill's  return  from  Wichita 
an  incident  occurred  which  resulted,  some  years  after- 
ward, in  his  renouncing  his  previous  declarations  to  re- 
main a  bachelor,  and  the  taking  unto  himself  of  a  wife. 
The  circumstances  which  culminated  in  so  great  a  change 
were  romantically  singular  and  are  well  worthy  of  record 
in  these  otherwise  sanguinary  chronicles  of  stirring  ad- 
ventures . 

The  incident  referred  to  grew  out  of  the  exhibition  of 
Lake's  Circus  in  Hays  City  during  August,  1871.  It 
was  a  rare  occasion  to  see  a  circus  so  far  West  at  that 
time,  owing  to  the  sparsely  settled  condition  of  middle 
and  western  Kansas,  and  when  the  caravan  began  to  pitch 
tents  preparatory  for  exhibition  not  only  the  citizens  of 
Hays  betrayed  great  curiosity,  but  every  one  within  a 
radius  of  more  than  twenty  miles  came  into  town,  by  a 
variety  of  conveyances,  to  see  the  show. 

Lake's  Circus  had  been  a  standard  entertainment  for 
many  years  in  the  East  and  South,  and  in  addition  to  the 
excellent  reputation  it  bore  it  was  well  advertised  by  a 
novel  free  exhibition  which  became  the  rage  even  in  the 
East — a  grand  balloon  ascension  just  before  opening  the 
doors.  The  town  council,  like  every  one  else  in  the 
neighborhood,  though  anxious  to  see  the  performance, 
held  a  meeting  on  the  day  preceding  the  time  fixed  for 
exhibition,  and  decided  to  charge  Mrs.  Lake,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  circus,  a  license  fee  of  fifty  dollars ;  but 
before  the  municipal  body  adjourned  Wild  Bill  stepped 
up  and  asked  to  be  heard  a  moment.  Permission  having 
been  granted,  the  town  councilmen  lit  their  pipes,  passed 
the  bottle «  and  leaning  back  in  their  chairs  posed  them- 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BIL'L.  151 

selves  while  Bill  expressed  himself  substantially  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  I  never  made  a  speech  in  my  life  and  I  don't  want 
to  begin  now,  but  I  never  went  back  on  a  woman,  and 
I'm  going  to  give  you  some  plain  talk.  You  fellows 
live  so  far  outside  of  civilization  that  your  hearts  have 
dried  up  like  small  potatoes  left  out  in  the  sun,  and  ai 
you  can't  read  the  papers  of  course  you  don't  know 
nothing  about  what's  going  on  east  of  the  coyote's 
range. 

"This  circus  that's  advertised  to  show  and  furnish  a 
little  amusement  for  us  heathens  is  owned  by  a  woman, 
one  whose  pluck  catches  my  sympathy  every  time.  Her 
husband,  Bill  Lake,  one  of  the  best  clowns  that  ever  sung 
a  jolly  song,  was  murdered  down  in  Granby,  Missouri,  by 
a  cowardly  villain,  named  Jake  Killian,  on  the  24th  of 
August,  1869.  The  brave  little  widow,  after  burying  her 
husband,  had  to  either  sellout  or  go  on  the  road  with  the 
circus,  and  circumstances  advised  her  to  carry  the  show. 
My  opinion  is  that  any  woman  capable  to  run  a  circus  is  a 
darned  sight  bigger  .curiosity  in  these  parts  than  th« 
leather  heads  of  this  village  ever  heard  of,  and  when  I  see 
so  much  pluck  shown  by  a  little  woman  I  just  feel  like 
throwing  in  and  helping  her. 

"Now,  if  you  fellows  that  run  this  town  knowed  how 
to  appreciate  a  good  thing  for  the  place,  instead  of  charg- 
ing Mrs.  Lake  a  license,  you  would  vote  an  appropri- 
ation to  pay  her  for  coming  out  here  to  show  us 
heathens  a  first-class  circus.  If  I've  got  any  author- 
ity in  Hays,  Mrs.  Lake  ain't  going  to  pay  this  town 
a  cent  of  license  for  showing,  and  if  any  man  attempts  to 
stop  the  show  then  just  put  it  down  that  he's  got  me  to 
fight.  That's  all  I've  got  to  say  now,  so  drive  on  and 
we'll  see  who  pays  the  fiddler," 


152  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

When  Bill  concluded  his  "talk"  the  council  of  four 
decided  to  reconsider  their  action  and  remit  the  license, 
though  this  was,  in  the  eyes  of  some,  an  extraordinary 
opportunity  for  starting  a  town  treasury. 

Mrs.  Lake,  learning  of  Bill's  disinterested  kindness, 
sent  for  him  and  expressed  many  thanks,  after  which  she 
introduced  him  to  all  the  members  of  her  troupe,  includ- 
ing her  little  daughter,  Emma.  After  seeing  the  para- 
phernalia of  the  circus  and  shaking  hands  with  the  per- 
formers, Bill  turned  again  to  Mrs.  Lake  and  said  : 

"  Well,  now,  all  this  is  fine  enough,  but  do  you  know 
the  greatest  curiosity  about  this  canvas  is  yourself ;  I 
never  saw  a  woman  before  that  could  run  anything,  except 
with  a  broom  handle,  and  to  find  one  managing  a  big  cir- 
cus like  this  is  a  bigger  sight  than  California  Joe  when  he 
was  tackled  by  a  panther  down  in  the  Wachitas.  I  used 
to  think  that  women  never  amounted  to  much  outside  of 
being  mothers,  and  I  guess  I  wouldn't  give  them  that 
much  credit  if  it  hadn't  happened  that  I  had  a  mother 
myself,  and  a  good  one,  too.  But  I've  changed  my  opin- 
ion now,  for  if  I  could  hitch  up  with  such  a  business  girl 
as  yourself  I'd  go  in  search  of  the  parson  to-morrow." 

This  language,  though  full  of  rather  profane  meta- 
phors and  tempered  with  phrases  little  suited  for  « « lute- 
like  lovers'  lips,"  nevertheless  expressed  in  homely  truths 
Bill's  real  sentiments,  for  he  fell  in  love  with  Mrs.  Lake, 
not  only  on  first  sight,  but  even  before  the  meeting ;  he 
was  caught  on  the  hook  of  her  reputation. 

Mrs.  Lake,  though  not  fully  understanding  the  somewhat 
incoherent  address  of  her  determined  suitor,  yet  saw  be- 
neath his  rough  exterior  a  kind  and  healing  sympathy,  and 
a  heart  ever  brave  and  willing  to  protect  the  weak.  His 
face  and  form,  too,  were  strikingly  handsome,  while  his 
dress  was  that  of  a  gentleman.  In  short,  he  excited  the 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL.  153 

affection  of  her  nature,  having  already  won  her  admira- 
tion. But  they  parted  without  avowals,  and  nearly  three 
years  passed  before  they  met  again,  when  admiration 
ripened  into  a  warmer  feeling,  as  will  be  seen  in  a  subse- 
quent chapter. 

Becoming  tired  of  the  life  which  Hays  City  afforded, 
Bill  resigned  his  position  as  U.  S.  Marshal,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1872  went  to  Kansas  City,  where  he  found  a 
place  bristling  with  sports  and  excitements  well  suited  to 
his  disposition.  About  the  same  time  the  writer,  who 
had  been  occupying  an  editorial  position  on  the  Fort 
Scott  Daily  Monitor,  accepted  an  offer  made  him  by  the 
proprietors  of  the  Kansas  City  Journal  and  took  up  a 
residence  in  the  Bluff  City,  where  he  became  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  heroic  scout  and  learned  much  con- 
cerning his  marvellous  career. 

Kansas  City  was  a  brisk  town  in  1872.  It  contained  a 
population  of  nearly  30,000,  and  was  the  parent  block  off 
which  was  chipped  all  the  gambling  towns  along  the  Kan- 
sas Pacific  railroad.  Games  of  chance,  cards,  keno,  faro, 
roulette,  dice,  cock-mains,  dog  fighting  and  kindred  means 
for  hazarding  money  ran  day  and  night.  On  the  west 
side  of  Main,  between  Fourth  street  and  Missouri  avenue, 
there  was  nothing  in  the  upper  stories  of  the  buildings 
except  gamblers  and  gaming  outfits.  But  this  district 
was  peculiar  only  in  presenting  an  unbroken  chain,  as  it 
were,  of  gambling  dens.  Fifth  street,  between  Walnut 
fcnd  Main,  was  equally  bad,  even  worse,  because  the 
rooms  were  less  inviting  and  patronized  by  a  more  disrep- 
utable class.  The  lower  end  of  main  street  and  the 
levee  were  given  over  to  brothel  houses,  about  which 
a  first-class  item  could  nearly  always  be  found.  The 
writer  now  recalls  to  mind  one  evening  when  he  was  de- 
tailed to  report  three  murders  and  one  suspicious  death. 


154 


HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 


But  to-day  the  infamies  and  demoralizing  characters 
which  once  filled  the  streets  of  Kansas  City  exist  only  in 
the  history  of  her  progress,  and  the  hum  of  her  commerce 
has  long  since  displaced  the  sonorous  voice  of  the  keno 
caller  and  the  death-crack  of  the  revolver. 


Notwithstanding  the  lawless,  turbulent  elements  that 
gave  character  to  Kansas  City  during  the  period  of  Wild 
Bill's  residence  in  the  place,  he  kept  himself  aloof  from 
them,  in  his  quiet,  dignified,  reserved  way,  and  thus 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL.  155 

never  had  occasion  to  unloose  the  tiger  that  slumbered 
beneath  his  calm  exterior. 

The  peaceable  tenor  of  Bill' sway  was  disturbed  on  but 
one  occasion  while  he  remained  in  the  Bluff  City,  and 
even  this  circumstance  developed  into  a  ludicrous  rather 
than  a  sanguinary  scene.  Joe  Siegmund,  now  proprietor 
of  a  railroad  eating-house  in  Malvern,  Arkansas,  was  at 
that  time  owner  and  keeper  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  public  square.  Attached  to  the 
hotel  was  a  bar  and  billiard  room,  which  gathered  an 
excellent  patronage  from  the  gambling  gentry,  and  was 
nearly  always  full  of  excited  young  bloods  taking  their 
initiatory  lessons  in  broils  and  drinking.  On  the  occasion 
referred  to,  September  17,  1872,  Bill  walked  into  the 
saloon  with  an  acquaintance  and  took  a  seat  near  one  of 
the  billiard  tables,  to  watch  a  game  then  in  progress. 
He  had  been  in  the  saloon  only  a  few  minutes  when  four 
"  larks,"  two-thirds  full  of  Western  cussedness,  and  the 
other  third  full  of  whisky,  straggled  around  the  room 
and  stopped  in  front  of  Bill.  One  of  the  quartette, 
desirous  of  establishing  a  reputation  for  belligerency, 
having  heard  much  about  Wild  Bill,  and  knowing  him  by 
sight,  in  a  most  insulting  manner  halloed  out  to  his  com- 
panions : 

"Here,  boys,  is  the  great  wild  man  of  the  prairies; 
the  mighty  untamable  giaftycutus  that  eats  three  men 
every  night  before  retiring  and  rises  so  hungry  that  he 
sometimes  chews  up  a  whole  town  for  breakfast.  Look 
out,  I  tell  you,  its  just  about  his  meal  time  now." 

This  harangue  very  naturally  excited  Bill's  anger, 
but  with  apparent  indifference  to  the  insult  he  only  re- 
plied : 

"  See  here,  young  man,  I'll  lift  you  with  the  toe  of  my 
boot  if  you  don't  get  away  from  here  in  five  seconds/' 


156  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

The  young  fellow  was  spoiling  for  a  row,  and  showing 
the  butt  of  his  pistol  he  abused  Bill  in  a  manner  ab- 
solutely unbearable,  calling  him  every  vile  name  that  a 
wicked  native  was  capable  of  uttering.  Persuading 
efforts  only  serving  to  increase  the  belicose  fellow's  pr*o- 
pensities,  Bill  at  length  got  up,  and  catching  hold  of 
his  shoulder,  administered  a  stunning  blow  on  the  young 
man's  head  which  brought  him  to  a  realizing  sense  of  his 
assailant's  true  nature.  Then  holding  him  by  one  ear, 
Bill  boxed  the  impudent  fellow's  face  until  howls  for 
mercy  preserved  him  from  a  more  severe  beating.  The 
lesson  thus  imparted  was  productive  of  excellent  results, 
for  the  abashed  "  larker,"  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  slunk 
away,  followed  by  his  amazed  companions. 

After  the  crowd  had  departed  Bill  expressed  many  re- 
grets for  having  to  use  the  young  man  so  roughly,  but 
every  one  present  pronounced  the  whipping  a  most  de- 
serving act,  as  it  would  probably  serve  to  make  the  fel- 
low more  respectful  and  considerate  in  his  future  con- 
duct. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

IN  the  fall  of  1872  Buffalo  Bill  and  Texas  Jack  had 
accepted  a  proposition  made  by  Ned  Buntline  ( Judson) 
to  go  on  the  stage  and  make  a  theatrical  tour  of  the  States 
in  a  play  which  he  proposed  to  write  for  them.  The  en- 
terprise proved  such  a  decided  success  that  for  the  season 
of  1873-4  the  Buffalo  Bill  Combination,  as  it  was  called, 
made  several  flattering  offers  to  Wild  Bill  to  join  them, 
and  he  was  eventually  induced  to  appear  before  the  foot- 
lights in  the  bloody  Indian  drama  entitled  "Scouts  of 
tie  Plains  " 


LITE   OF   WILD    BILL.  157 

His  first  appearance  on  the  stage  was  made  in  New 
York  City,  the  cast  for  the  play  being  as  follows : 

BUFFALO  BILL W.  F.  Cody. 

TEXAS  JACK J.  B.  Omohundro. 

WILD  BILL J.  B.  Hickok, 

PALE  DOVE  (Wife  of  Texas  Jack) Mile.  Morlacchi. 

Jim  Daws,  a  renegade  horse  thief Frank  Mordaunt. 

Aunt  Annie  Carter Miss  Jennie  Fisher. 

Ella Miss  Lizzie  Saflord. 

Lotta Miss  Eliza  Hudson. 

Uncle  Henry  Carter,  a  friend  of  the  scouts J.  V.  Arlington. 

Nick  Blunder,  with  song  and  dance Walter  Fletcher. 

Tom  Doggett,  in  cahoot  with  Daws W.  S.  McEvoy. 

Ebenezer  Longlank,  gov't  peace  commissioner A.  Johnson. 

Tall  Oak,  a  Kiowa,  but  on  the  square W.  A.  Reid. 

Big  Thunder,  a  Comanche  Chief B.  Meredith. 

Bear  Claw,  Comanche  Brave H.  Mainhall. 

Eaven  Feather J.  W.  Buck. 

The  performance  was  lacking  in  many  features  essen- 
tial to  what  is  called  "smoothness,"  and  especially  in 
the  part  taken  by  Wild  Bill. 

Buffalo  Bill,  in  his  autobiography,  describes  Wild 
Bill's  acting  in  the  following  manner : 

"  Although  he  had  a  fine  stage  appearance,  was  a  hand- 
some fellow  and  possessed  a  good,  strong  voice,  yet 
when  he  went  upon  the  stage  before  an  audience,  it  was 
almost  impossible  for  him  to  utter  a  word.  He  insisted 
that  we  were  making  a  set  of  fools  of  ourselves,  and  that 
we  were  the  laughing-stock  of  the  people. 

"  Wild  Bill  was  continually  playing  tricks  on  the  mem- 
bers of  the  company,  and  it  was  his  especial  delight  to 
torment  the  <  supers.'  Quite  frequently,  in  our  sham 
Indian  battles,  he  would  run  up  to  the  '  Indians  '  (supers) 
and  putting  his  pistol  close  to  their  legs  fire  and  burn 
them  with  the  powder  instead  of  shooting  over  their 
heads.  This  would  make  them  dance  and  jump,  so  that 


158  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

it  was  difficult  to  make  them  fall  and  die — although  they 
were  paid  twenty-five  cents  each  for  performing  the 
'  dying  business.'  " 

Of  his  career  during  the  period  of  his  engagement  with 
the  Buffalo  Bill  Combination,  Wild  Bill  left  no  memoran- 
da from  which  his  exploits  might  be  gathered  for  publi- 
cation, but  several  interesting  adventures  are  given  in 
Buffalo  Bill's  autobiography,  to  which  the  writer  is  in- 
debted for  many  important  facts  concerning  Wild  Bill, 
from  which  the  following  extracts  are  taken  : 

"One  day  at  Titusville,  Pennsylvania,  while  Burke, 
the  business  agent,  was  registering  our  names  and  mak- 
ing arrangements  for  our  accommodation,  several  of  us 
started  for  the  billiard  room,  but  were  met  by  the  land- 
lord, who  stopped  me  and  said  that  there  was  a  party  of 
roughs  from  the  lower  oil  regions  who  were  spreeing, 
and  had  boasted  that  they  were  staying  in  town  to  meet 
the  Buffalo  Bill  gang,  and  clean  them  out.  The  land- 
lord begged  of  me  not  to  allow  the  members  of  the 
troupe  to  enter  the  billiard-room,  as  he  did  not  wish  any 
fight  in  his  house.  To  please  the  landlord,  and  at  his 
suggestion,  I  called  the  boys  up  into  the  parlor  and  ex- 
plained to  them  the  situation.  Wild  Bill  wanted  to  go 
at  once  and  fight  the  whole  mob,  but  I  persuaded  him  to 
keep  away  from  them  during  the  day. 

* '  In  order  to  entirely  avoid  the  roughs  the  members 
of  the  company  entered  the  theatre  through  a  private 
door  from  the  hotel,  as  the  two  buildings  joined  each 
other.  While  I  was  standing  at  the  door  of  the  theatre 
taking  tickets,  the  landlord  came  rushing  up  and  said 
that  Wild  Bill  was  having  a  fight  with  the  roughs  in  the 
bar-room .  It  seemed  that  Bill  had  not  been  able  to  re- 
sist the  temptation  of  going  to  see  what  kind  of  a  mob  it 
was  that  wanted  to  test  the  pluck  of  the  Buffalo  Bill 


LIFE   OF  WJLD   BILL.  159 

party;  and  just  as  he  stepped  into  the  room,  one  of  the 
bruisers  put  his  hand  on  Bill's  shoulder  and  said : 

"  *  Hello,  Buffalo  Bill !  we  have  been  looking  for  you 
»11  day.' 

"  '  My  name  is  not  Buffalo  Bill ;  you  are  mistaken  in 
the  name,'  was  the  reply. 

"  «  You're  a  liar  1'  said  the  bruiser. 

"  Bill  instantly  knocked  him  down,  and  then  seizing 
a  chair  he  laid  out  four  or  five  of  the  crowd  on  the  floor, 
and  then  drove  T;he  rest  out  of  the  room.  All  this  was 
done  in  a  minute  or  two,  and  by  the  time  I  got  down 
stairs,  Bill  was  coming  out  of  the  bar-room,  whistling  a 
lively  tune. 

"'Well!  said  he,  *I  have  been  interviewing  that 
party  that  wanted  to  clean  us  out.' 

4 ' '  I  thought  you  promised  to  come  into  the  Opera 
House  by  the  private  entrance  ?' 

"  *  I  did  try  to  follow  that  trail,  but  I  got  lost  among 
the  canons,  and  then  I  ran  in  among  the  hostiles,'  said 
he ;  '  but  its  all  right  now ;  they  won't  bother  us  any 
more.' 

"  We  heard  no  more  of  them  after  that." 

When  the  company  reached  Portland,  Maine,  to  fulfill 
an  engagement,  another  incident  occurred  wherein  Wild 
Bill  again  distinguished  himself,  though  not  in  a  personal 
combat.  The  leading  members  of  the  troupe  stopped  at 
the  United  States  Hotel,  a  large  caravansary  at  which 
boarded  several  bachelor  merchants  of  the  town.  On 
the  night  succeeding  the  first  performance,  Bill  retired 
to  bed  shortly  after  twelve  o'clock,  feeling  unusually 
tired,  owing  to  a  long  walk  he  had  taken  during  the  day. 
Before  lying  down  he  discovered  that  the  room  adjoining 
his  was  occupied  by  several  persons  engaged  in  some 
amusement  which  caused  them  to  make  considerable 


160  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

noise  ;  he  retired  to  bed,  however,  and  tried  to  sleep  de- 
spite the  tumult  of  his  neighbors,  but  finding,  at  length, 
that  the  noise  increased  with  no  likelihood  of  abating 
soon ,  he  got  up  with  the  intention  of  either  suppressing 
the  racket  or  having  a  first-class  row.  In  partial  undress 
he  knocked  at  the  door  of  his  unknown  neighbors  only 
to  find  that  the  room  was  occupied  by  five  of  Portland's 
leading  business  men,  and  that  their  noise  was  the  result 
of  a  game  of  poker,  spiced  with  liquid  refreshments  of 
savory  perfume.  Before  making  known  the  purpose  of 
his  visit  the  party  invited  him  to  join  them  in  the  game 
and  partake  of  the  bottle  which  was  now  well  nigh  empty. 
Nothing  ever  afforded  Bill  so  much  pleasure  as  a  game  of 
poker,  and  to  indulge  this  gratification  he  was  always 
ready  to  sacrifice  a  night's  rest.  He  therefore  entered 
into  the  sport  of  the  game  and  after  playing  until  the 
party  were  fairly  exhausted  both  in  body  and  purse  he 
got  up  from  the  table  seven  hundred  dollars  better  off 
than  when  he  sat  down.  In  order  that  such  pleasant 
co r/pany  might  not  separate  without  some  benefit  he  gen- 
erously gave  them  this  parting  advice  : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  appreciate  your  hospitality,  and  espe- 
cially the  good  luck  in  which  I  have  played  to-night, 
therefore  I  will  tell  you  a  little  secret,  for  it  may  prove 
very  valuable  to  you  all  hereafter ;  never  wake  up  a 
stranger,  destroy  his  rest,  and  invite  him  to  take  a  hand 
in  a  game  of  poker  with  you.  Good  night." 

Buffalo  Bill,  in  conversation  with  the  writer,  told  the 
following  amusing  story,  which  I  will  try  to  repeat  near- 
ly in  his  own  language  : 

* <  When  I  had  arranged  terms  with  Wild  Bill  to  ap- 
pear with  my  company,  we  were  in  New  York  playing  an 
engagement,  and  I  was  stopping  at  the  Metropolitan 
Hotel.  Bill  arrived  in  New  York  after  dark,  and  being 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL.  161 

unacquainted  with  the  city — this  being  his  first  visit  there 
— he  took  a  hack,  instructing  the  driver  to  take  him  to 
the  Metropolitan  Hotel.  Upon  arriving  at  the  house, 
Bill  asked  the  driver  his  charges. 

"  '  Five  dollars,  sir,'  was  the  reply. 

"  « And  you  wouldn't  accept  anything  less,  would  you  ?  ' 
asked  Bill. 

"  *  No,  sir,  that's  the  charge,  and  nothing  less.' 

6 '  Bill  then  handed  the  driver  five  dollars,  at  the  same  time 
striking  him  a  blow  in  the  face  that  sent  him  plowing  up 
the  settlings  of  the  gutter.  A  policeman  very  soon  came 
after  Bill,  but  bail  being  furnished  by  me,  he  was  kept 
out  of  the  tombs  ;  but  the  next  day  I  paid  a  fine  of  $10 
for  him.  This  was  his  first  experience  in  New  York. 

"We  had  two  or  three  rehearsals  together  before  Bill 
made  his  appearance,  and  even  then  he  was  required  to 
say  only  a  few  words.  The  first  scene  in  which  he  was 
cast  represented  a  camp  fire,  around  which  Wild  Bill, 
Texas  Jack  and  myself  were  sitting  telling  stories.  In 
order  to  carry  out  the  scene  so  that  it  should  be  a  faith- 
ful counterfeit  of  the  reality,  we  had  a  whisky  bottle 
filled  with  cold  tea  which  we  passed  from  one  to  the  other 
at  the  conclusion  of  each  story.  When  it  came  Bill's  turn 
to  relate  an  adventure  I  passed  him  the  bottle,  and  taking 
it  in  the  way  with  which  he  was  so  familiar,  he  commenced 
draining  the  contents.  I  say  commenced,  because  he 
stopped  very  suddenly  and  spurted  the  tea  right  out  on 
the  stage,  at  the  same  time  saying,  in  a  voice  loud  enough 
for  the  audience  to  hear  him  :  *  You  must  think  I'm  the 
worst  fool  east  of  the  Rockies,  that  I  can't  tell  whisky 
from  cold  tea.  This  don't  count,  and  I  can't  tell  a  story 
under  the  temptation  unless  I  get  real  whisky.'  I  tried 
to  remonstrate  with  him,  while  the  audience  fairly  shook 
down  the  galleries  with  their  cheers .  At  first  I  was  greatly 


162  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 

mortified,  but  it  did  not  take  long  to  convince  me  that 
Wild  Bill  had  unconsciously  made  a  big  hit.  I  therefore 
sent  out  for  some  whisky,  which  Bill  drank,  and  then 
told  his  story  with  excellent  effect.'' 

Wild  Bill  remained  with  the  combination  until  the 
spring  of  1874,  when,  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  he  parted 
abruptly  from  the  combination.  But  before  deciding 
to  cancel  his  engagement  he  met  Mrs.  Lake,  who, 
by  chance  being  in  Rochester,  went  to  see  the  per- 
formance. Buffalo  Bill  had  frequently  heard  Wild 
Bill  declare  his  admiration  for  this  lady,  and  when  he 
discovered  her  in  the  audience  he  immediately  informed 
Wild  Bill  of  the  fact  and  offered  to  introduce  him  again. 
The  result  was  that  Mrs.  Lake  and  Wild  Bill  met  and  in 
the  few  moments  they  were  together  Bill  said  : 

"Mrs.  Lake,  I  don't  know  how  to  court,  because  I 
never  did  any  of  it  in  my  life,  but  I've  been  thinking 
about  you  ever  since  we  met  in  Hays  City.  Fact  is,  I'd 
be  mighty  glad  to  hitch  up  in  harness  with  you,  because 
I  think  we'd  make  a  splendid  team." 

Mrs.  Lake  replied,  "  I  don't  know,  Bill,  how  well  we 
would  suit  each  other,  but  at  the  present  time  my  busi- 
ness is  in  such  a  condition  that  I  couldn't  think  of  mar- 
rying." 

*  *  How  soon  do  you  suppose  you  could  straighten  up 
matters  so  that  we  could  go  to  the  parson  together?"  en- 
quired Bill. 

"  Well,  it  will  require  two  years  probably  to  settle  my 
affairs,  but  your  proposition  comes  so  suddenly  and  un- 
expectedly that  I  should  have  to  think  about  it,  for  I 
don't  know  that  it  would  be  proper  for  me  to  marry 
again,"  was  Mrs.  Lake's  reply,  indicating  that  she  was 
not  indifferent  to  the  offer  made  her. 

"  I  don't  want  to  insist,  but  at  the  same  time  you  suit 


LIFE    OF   WILD   BILL.  163 

me  to  a  dot,  and  I'd  give  my  eyes  to  marry  you ;  there- 
fore I'll  give  you  time  to  consider.  I've  got  to  go  on 
the  stage  now  to  kill  a  few  Indians  to  please  this  congre- 
gation, but  when  the  show  is  out,  maybe  I  might  see 
you  over  at  the  Osborne  House." 

Bill  thus  left  Mrs.  Lake,  but  contrary  to  his  expecta- 
tions, did  not  see  her  again  until  1876. 

When  he  was  called  for  his  part  during  the  same  even- 
ing's performance,  he  resumed  his  old  annoying  practice 
of  singeing  the  "  supers  "  legs,  and  carried  the  trick  so 
far  this  time  that  Buffalo  Bill  remonstrated  so  sharply 
that,  without  saying  a  word,  Wild  Bill  doffed  his  buck- 
skin suit,  and  resuming  his  usual  dress,  walked  out  of 
the  theatre,  refusing  to  appear  any  more  with  the  combi- 
nation. Before  he  left  Rochester,  however,  Buffalo  Bill 
and  Texas  Jack  made  up  a  purse  between  them  of  one 
thousand  dollars  and  gave  it  to  him  as  an  evidence  of 
their  continued  friendship. 

Being  considerably  flush  for  a  scout,  Wild  Bill  went  to 
New  York,  and  while  there,  in  a  very  laudable  effort  to 
break  a  faro  bank,  got  himself  ingloriously  * 4  busted."  In 
this  condition  a  theatrical  manager  approached  him  with 
a  liberal  proposition ,  so  that  for  a  second  time  he  became 
a  votary  of  Thespis,  coming  again  before  the  public  with 
the  Wild  Bill  combination.  But  he  had  evidently  struck 
a  blind  pocket  of  ill  luck,  for  after  a  few  fitful  weeks  of 
uncertainty  the  concern  became  pecuniarily  defunct. 
After  Bill  had  left  the  new  combination  the  manager 
immediately  reorganized  his  troupe  and  replaced  Wild 
Bill  by  a  cheaper  character.  Everywhere  the  company 
performed  they  advertised  the  renowned  Wild  Bill  as 
their  leading  star,  a  member  of  the  troupe  being  engaged 
to  personate  the  distinguished  scout  on  and  off  the  stage 

alike.     Wild  Bill  was  not  long  in  learning  of  this  trick 
10 


164  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

and  at  once  decided  to  get  satisfaction  by  undeceiving  the 
deceiver.  Accordingly,  learning  that  the  company  was  to 
appear  at  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  he  went  there  to  witness 
the  performance.  Waiting  until  the  plot  was  developing 
much  interest  to  the  audience,  when  the  bogus  Wild  Bill 
was  shooting  and  slashing  his  way  through  a  band  of 
howling  Comanches,  he  leaped  upon  the  stage,  and  grab- 
bing the  manager,  flung  him  bodily  into  the  orchestra, 
and  then  knocked  the  personator  of  his  character  through 
the  scenes,  regardless  of  the  knives  and  pistols  and  tom- 
ahawks carried  by  the  Indians. 

This  novel  procedure  precipitated  an  intermission, 
during  which  Bill  unconcernedly  resumed  his  seat  and 
shouted  to  the  company  to  proceed  with  the  show. 

Information  of  the  interruption  having  reached  the 
municipal  officers,  a  policeman  was  sent  up  to  arrest  Bill. 
He  was  easily  found,  but  when  the  officer  asked  him  to 
consider  himself  under  arrest  the  reckless  scout  replied  ; 

"  How  numerous  are  you?  " 

"  I  am  alone  ;  why  do  you  ask?  " 

"  Well,  I  would  advise  you  to  call  up  some  assistance.'"' 

The  policeman  took  his  advice  and  went  out  and  soon 
returned  with  a  brother  officer.  The  two  then  approached 
Bill  and  asked  him  to  accompany  them. 

"  How  numerous  are  you  now?  "  Bill  asked. 

"  There  are  two  of  us." 

"  Then  I  would  advise  you  to  go  out  on  another 
recruiting  expedition." 

The  two  policemen,  anxious  to  avoid  a  conflict  with  the 
noted  scout,  then  called  the  sheriff,  who  requested  Bill 
to  submit  to  arrest,  and  had  no  difficulty  in  taking  him 
out  of  the  theater  and  keeping  him  in  charge  until  the 
following  morning,  when  his  trial  took  place  before 
the  city  judge.  The  circumstances  of  the  row  having 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL.  167 

been  detailed  Bill  was  fined  three  dollars  and  costs,  but 
his  satisfaction  in  punishing  the  bogus  character  more 
than  compensated  him  for  his  expense  and  trouble. 

Leaving  the  East,  Bill  went  directly  to  Kansas  City 
and  from  there  to  Cheyenne,  a  place  he  had  not  visited 
for  several  years.  Here  he  drifted  to  a  faro  bank  which 
was  run  by  a  gambler  named  Boulder.  Bill  had  only 
two  hundred  dollars  with  him  and  he  commenced  the 
game  by  staking  small  amounts.  Losing  all  these,  he 
played  up  for  an  average  by  doubling.  Staking  fifty 
dollars  he  also  lost  that,  but  immediately  put  down  an- 
other fifty  dollar  bill.  Boulder,  who  was  banking,  told 
Bill,  who  was  a  stranger  to  him,  that  the  limit  was 
twenty-five  dollars  and  that  he  couldn't  play  above  that 
sum. 

4 'Why,"  enquired  Bill,  "  didn't  you  just  take  fifty 
dollars  of  my  money?" 

"Well,"  answered  Boulder,  "I  won't  let  you  play 
that  amount  any  more.'3 

"  You  won't?"  replied  Bill,  "  then  I'll  see  why  ,•  that 
fifty  dollar  bill  lays  on  the  tray,  and  if  my  card  don't 
turn,  the  money  is  yours,  but  if  it  does  come  out,  then 
I'll  have  fifty  dollars  of  your  money  or  there  '11  be  fun 
here,  that's  all." 

From  this  a  war  of  words  followed,  until  Bill  struck 
Boulder  on  the  head  with  a  heavy  walking  cane,  which 
rolled  him  off  a  substantial  seat.  Several  bouncers  for 
the  establishment  rushed  upon  Bill,  but  he  knocked  them 
in  a  most  artistic  manner,  until  finding  the  fighting  too 
progressive  he  jumped  into  a  corner  and  jerked  out  two 
pistols.  At  this  juncture  the  bar-keeper,  attending  the 
saloon  down  stairs,  hearing  the  noise,  ran  up  and  discov- 
ering the  situation,  cried  out : 

"Look  out,  boys,  that's  Wild  Bill  1" 


168  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 

This  information  acted  like  magic ;  the  tempest  was 
becalmed,  and  a  moment  later  Bill  was  alone. 

On  the  following  day  Boulder,  although  still  nursing  a 
badly  damaged  head,  called  on  Bill  and  producing  cham- 
pagne and  cigars,  the  two  settled  their  difference  ami- 
cably. 

Some  time  after  the  killing  of  Phil  Cole,  his  brother,  a 
well-known  character  in  the  far  West,  came  to  Hays  City 
with  the  expressed  determination  of  avenging  his  rela- 
tive's death.  Wild  Bill  had  only  a  few  days  before  gone 
to  New  York  to  join  the  Buffalo  Bill  Combination. 
Learning  this  fact,  Cole  professed  to  be  deeply  chagrined, 
saying  : 

"  Yes,  that  is  just  my  luck.  I've  come  one  thousand 
miles  to  kill  Wild  Bill,  only  to  find  that  the  coward  has 
left  the  country  ;  but  I'll  just  lay  for  him  awhile  in  these 
regions,  and  if  he  does  come  back  we'll  decide  who  is  the 
handiest  with  pistols. " 

Weeks  passed  by,  with  Bill  Still  in  the  East,  wholly 
unconscious  of  Jim  Cole's  intentions,  until  at  length,  as 
already  described,  Wild  Bill  severed  his  connection  with 
the  troupe  and  returned  West,  going  to  Cheyenne.  He 
had  scarcely  reached  that  place  when  he  was  apprised  by 
a  friend  writing  from  Hays  City  that  Jim  Cole  was  on  his 
track  and  was  about  ready  to  leave  for  Cheyenne  to  meet 
him.  Bill  gave  little  heed  to  this  information,  because 
such  threats  as  Cole  was  making  had  grown  old  to  him. 

About  two  weeks  after  his  arrival  in  Cheyenne,  how- 
ever, Bill  suddenly  became  conscious  of  the  danger  which 
threatened  him.  This  discovery  was  made  in  the  follow- 
ing manner:  He  was  sitting  in  Luke  Murrin's  sa- 
loon reading,  when  his  attention  was  directed  to  two 
strangers  who,  entering,  walked  up  to  the  bar  and  called 
for  a  drink.  The  order  was  given  by  Jirn  Cole,  and 


LIFE    OF   WILD   BILL.  169 

though  Bill  had  never  seen  this  man,  he  instantly  recog- 
nized in  his  voice  a  similarity  to  that  of  Phil  Cole's,  and 
was  thus  brought  to  a  realization  of  his  danger. 

By  chance,  at  the  time  of  this  meeting,  Wild  Bill's  only 
weapon  was  a  small  double-barreled  pistol  which  Buffalo 
Bill  had  given  him  in  New  York  ;  but  still  more  disad- 
vantageous was  the  fact  that  it  contained  but  a  single 
cartridge. 

Behind  the  bar  was  a  very  large  looking  glass,  imd  as 
the  faces  of  Cole  and  his  partner  were  turned  toward  the 
glass,  Bill  could  study  their  features  and  keep  himself 
prepared  (though  indifferently)  for  the  emergency  soon 
to  arise.  By  a  preconcerted  $jgnal  the  two  men  turned 
and  drew  their  pistols  simultaneously,  but  Bill  was  too 
quick  for  his  assailants.  With  the  one  shot  he  killed 
Cole  and  almost  at  the  same  instant  he  threw  the  empty 
pistol  with  such  force  in  the  face  of  Cole's  partner  that  he 
succeeded  in  rendering  his  aim  harmless.  To  follow  up 
this  advantage  and  prevent  the  stranger  from  shooting 
again,  Bill  grabbed  him  and  with  a  dexterous  effort;  trip- 
ped him  and  threw  him  with  such  force  that  his  head 
struck  the  counter  and  broke  his  neck. 

The  coroner  "  sat  on"  the  two  bodies  the  same  day, 
and  Wild  Bill  was  duly  arrested.  A  preliminary  exami- 
nation was  had  a  few  days  after,  and  such  positive  testi- 
mony was  adduced  proving  Cole's  threats  and  determi- 
nation, as  well  also  as  the  circumstances  of  the  attack 
made  by  the  victims,  that  Bill  was  released  on  a  verdict 
of  justifiable  homicide. 


170  EDSBOES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

.<** 

WILD  BILL  remained  in  Cheyenne  only  a  short  time, 

for  meeting  with  a  party  of  friends  who  were  wandering 
about  in  quest  of  adventure,  he  proposed  a  visit  to  the 
Black  Hills,  which  section  was  just  then  beginning  to 
attract  attention  on  account  of  important  discoveries  of 
gold.  Two  of  the  party — Tom  Busey,  of  Laramie,  and 
Doc  McGregor,  an  old  trapper,  who  had  just  left  his 
season  camp  on  the  Nebraska  river — were  delighted  with 
Bill's  proposition,  and  a  few  days  later,  having  packed 
their  mules  with  provisions  and  mining  utensils,  the  three 
started  for  the  Hills. 

After  leaving  Cheyenne  there  was  but  one  practicable 
route  to  the  point  of  destination,  and  this  led  along  Sage 
Creek  to  the  confluence  of  Cheyenne  river,  and  followed 
the  main  stream  to  French  Creek.  After  reaching  this 
smull  water  way  the  route  lay  through  several  largo 
canons,  under  the  brow  of  one  of  which,  on  a  level  spot 
only  a  fe\v  hundred  yards  from  the  creek,  the  party 
pitched  their  camps.  After  a  few  days'  hard  work  a 
comfortable  cabin  was  constructed  and  prospecting  began. 

In  comparatively  comfortable  quarters  the  three  men 
continued  their  explorations  for  gold,  meeting  with  much 
success  and  living  luxuriously  upon  the  abundant  game 
with  which  the  forests  abounded.  Notwithstanding  tho 

o 

war-like  tendencies  of  the  Blackfeet  and  Sioux  Indiana 
who  possessed  that  section  of  country,  the  party  lived 
for  a  period  of  several  months  without  interruption,  noi 
were  any  [ndians  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  their  camp. 

In  the  early  part  of  April,  1875,  however,  while  the 
party  was  still  in  camp,  Bill  met  with  an  adventure  which 
deserves  to  rank  with  the  most  marvelous  of  his  many 


LITE   OF   WILD    BILL. 


171 


escapes.  Winter  was  still  holding  the  creek  in  icy  fetters 
Jind  the  ground  remained  covered  with  a  crust  of  snow. 
The  evening  had  been  spent,  as  usual,  in  smoking  and 


THE  CABIN   IN   THE   BLACK   HU.T.S 


172  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

reading  well-worn  books.  Over  the  fire  hung  a  paK  of 
boiling  beans  and  above  the  cheerful,  blazing  house  logs 
were  the  rifles  and  wide-spreading  antlers  of  a  mon- 
strous buck.  This  completed  a  perfect  picture  of  fron- 
tier happiness,  for  such  contentment  is  rarely  found  even 
in  the  most  sumptuous  elegance  of  metropolitan  mansions. 

Before  supper  was  prepared — or  rather  before  the 
beans  were  boiled  sufficiently — Bill,  who  was  acting  a« 
cook,  discovered  that  more  water  was  required  to  finish 
the  cooking,  and  that  the  water  bucket  was  empty. 
Putting  on  his  coat,  he  took  the  bucket  and  a  canteen — 
the  only  vessels  in  the  camp  used  for  holding  water — and 
started  for  the  stream.  The  moon  was  shining  with 
scintillating  lustre,  lighting  up  the  canon  and  throwing 
out  long  shadows  from  the  trees  overhead. 

As  Bill  was  stooping  to  dip  the  water  from  a  hole  out 
in  the  ice,  chancing  to  glance  about  him  he  saw  a  large, 
silver-gray  fox  trotting  on  the  ice  up  the  creek.  This 
was  a  prize  of  no  inconsiderable  value,  the  pelt  being  mar- 
ketable readily  at  from  fifty  to  sixty  dollars.  In  a  mo- 
ment Bill  pulled  his  pistol  and  fired  at  the  animal,  but 
succeeded  in  only  breaking  one  of  its  hind-legs.  The 
creek  made  a  sharp  turn  at  this  point  and  in  order  that 
he  might  not  lose  the  prize,  Bill  set  out  in  pursuit,  ex- 
pecting soon  to  secure  another  shot.  Every  moment, 
just  as  an  opportunity  appeared  on  the  point  of  being  of- 
fered for  a  shot,  the  fox  would  dart  behind  some  interven- 
ing object,  so  that  it  was  useless  for  Bill  to  fire,  and  yet  the 
distance  between  them  continued  only  a  few  yards.  In 
this  manner  the  scout  was  lured  mile  after  mile,  uncon- 
scious of  the  distance  he  had  traveled,  until  the  large 
eanon  rose  up  before  him  in  black  and  singular  grand- 
eur. The  moon  had  now  gone  down  behind  the  tower- 
ing hills,  leaving  the  creek  an  indistinct  line  difficult  to 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL. 


173 


follow.  With  all  his  persistent  pursuit  and  lengthy 
journey  he  failed  to  capture  the  prize  for  which  so  much 
time  and  effort  had  been  expended ;  for .  the  growing 
darkness  had  enabled  the  fox  to  elude  his  pursuer  and 
hide  somewhere  about  the  roots  of  the  numerous  trees 
which  fringed  the  stream. 

Retracing  his  steps  again,  Bill  had  proceeded  but  a 


Wild  Bill  and  the  Fox. 

short  distance  when  he  was  startled  by  an  unmistakable 
sound  emanating  from  the  direction  of  the  camp.  It  was 
the  distinct  war-whoop  of  northern  Sioux,  and  immedi- 
ately apprehensions  arose  in  his  mind  for  the  safety  of 
his  comrades.  Anxious  to  render  aid  when  it  was  doubly 
valuable,  Bill  ran  down  the  creek  with  all  possible  speed, 
but  before  arriving  near  the  camp  he  discovered  a  bright 
tinge  in  the  atmosphere  which  told  him  that  the  cabin 


174  HEROES    OP   THE   PLAIKS. 

was  on  fire.  Still  running  swiftly  he  did  not  pause  until 
reaching  the  opening  leading  down  to  the  creek,  when  he 
saw  a  band  of  twenty  or  more  Indians  dancing  around 
the  burning  timbers  of,  his  home  and  consuming  the 
whisky  which  they  had  found  in  a  keg  in  the  cabin. 
There  was  presented  before  him  a  panorama  replete  with 
destruction  and  broken  hopes.  He  saw  the  bleeding 
scalps  of  his  comrades  displayed  as  trophies  of  this  mur- 
derous depredation,  and -realizing  that  there  was  nothing 
left  for  him  to  do  but  to  look  after  his  own  safety,  he 
decided  to  leave  the  country  at  once,  on  foot,  as  the 
stock  of  his  party  was  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians, 
and  make  directly  for  Ft.  Fetterman. 

The  well  known  cunning  and  suspicion  peculiar  to  the 
Indians  Bill  knew  would  lead  to  an  examination  of  the 
vicinity  to  discover  if  there  were  any  others  belonging  to 
the  camp  whom  chance  had  led  away,  and  this  examina- 
tion he  felt  certain  would  result  in  a  discovery  of  his 
trail  and  lead  to  pursuit.  Acting  on  this  belief  he  trav- 
eled with  what  speed  he  was  capable,  never  stopping  for 
rest  during  the  entire  night. 

After  daylight,  on  the  following  morning,  observing 
no  indications  of  a  pursuit,  and  being  almost  worn  out 
with  fatigue,  he  lay  down  beside  a  tree  and  immediately 
fell  asleep.  It  was  fully  an  hour  past  mid-day  when  he 
awoke,  and  being  as  hungry  now  as  he  was  tired  before, 
he  at  once  cast  about  with  the  hope  of  finding  some  kind 
of  game  upon  which  to  satisfy  his  gnawing  appetite. 
Fortune  threw  in  his  way  a  sage-hen,  which  a  single  shot 
dispatched,  and  upon  this  he  soon  made  an  excellent 
meal.  Scattering  the  embers  of  the  fire  he  had  built 
that  it  might  not  readily  afford  fresh  evidence  of  hia 
trail,  should  it  be  pursued,  Bill  resumed  the  southward 
march,  hoping  to  gain  Ft.  Fetterman  in  the  two  day? 
succeed  ing. 


LIFE   OF  WJLD   BILL.  175 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day,  while  ascending  to 
the  summit  of  a  knoll  which  lay  in  his  route,  looking 
away  to  the  northwest,  Bill  discovered  some  suspicious 
spots  on  the  rim  of  the  horizon  which  bordered  the  prai- 
rie. Studying  these  for  a  few  minutes,  his  keen  sense 
of  perception  told  him  that  the  moving  figures  were  those 
of  Indians,  while  the*  direction  indicated  that  they  were 
on  his  track. 

South  of  the  place  where  Bill  discovered  his  trailing 
enemies  was  a  strip  of  heavy  timber  which  he  thought 
overhung  the  banks  of  upper  Beaver  Creek.  Being  less 
than  three  miles  distant,  he  hoped  to  gain  this  covert 
and  by  wading  in  the  stream  throw  the  Indians  off  his 
track,  which  was  now  easily  followed  by  impressions 
in  the  thin  crust  of  snow  still  covering  the  ground. 
Hurriedly  he  set  off,  knowing  that  no  time  was  to  be  lost, 
for  the  Indians  were  evidently  riding  at  a  fast  pace,  and 
were,  perhaps,  less  than  ten  miles  distant. 

He  had  approached  to  within  about  one  mile  of  the 
strip  of  woods  when  a  troop  of  fifteen  or  more  Sioux 
dashed  over  the  knoll  that  had  hid  them  from  Bill's 
sight,  and  seeing  the  fleeing  man  they  urged  their  horses 
to  a  run ,  shouting  with  exultation  over  the  promise  of  a 
fresh  victim. 

Unfortunately  for  Bill,  when  he  left  the  camp,  harbor- 
ing not  the  remotest  suspicion  of  meeting  with  any  ad- 
venture, he  had  taken  with  him  but  a  single  pistol,  of 
six  chambers,  and  even  this  weapon  he  had  retained  only 
from  custom.  Two  chambers  of  the  pistol  had  been 
emptied,  and  what  defence  he  could  now  make  lay  in  the 
four  loads  remaining. 

A  lively  chase  ensued,  Bill  running  at  his  greatest 
speed,  but  it  soon  became  apparent  that  his  chances  for 
escape  were  exceedingly  small.  To  add  to  his  emoar- 


176  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

rassment,  having  reached  the  timber  several  hundred 
yards  in  advance  of  his  pursuers,  he  discovered  that  the 
stream,  which  was  of  considerable  width  and  evidently 
deep,  ran  along  the  edge  of  the  timber  next  to  him,  and 
that  the  bank  was  a  ledge  of  shelving  rocks  fully  fifteen 
feet  in  height.  The  creek  was  frozen  over,  to  what 
thickness  Bill  had  no  means  of  ascertaining,  but  he  was 
afraid  to  leap  from  the  precipitous  bank  lest  the  ice 
should  riot  be  sufficiently  strong  to  sustain  his  weight, 
and  in  that  event  results  from  the  fall  would  either  have 
killed  him  outright  or  caused  such  bodily  injury  as  would 
have  made  him  an  easy  victim  to  the  Indians. 

Bill  had  faced  many  dangerous  dilemmas  during  his 
adventurous  life,  but  for  the  time  being  he  thought  this 
one  offered  the  least  chances  for  escape.  Had  he  been 
armed  sufficiently,  he  thought,  it  were  possible  for  him 
to  seek  the  cover  of  some  friendly  tree,  and  thus  par- 
tially protected  fight  with  at  least  a  faint  hope  of  saving 
his  scalp  ;  but  having  only  four  bullets  it  was  impossible 
to  use  them  with  sufficient  economy  for  his  present 
needs. 

On  came  the  whooping  savages,  but  without  discharg- 
ing an  arrow  or  firing  a  shot,  evidently  bent  on  capturing 
the  fugitive  and  reserving  him  for  the  stake.  Seeing 
that  to  run  along  the  towering  brink  would  only  hasten 
his  end,  the  intrepid  scout  turned  upon  his  pursuers  when 
they  were  within  a  few  yards,  and  discharging  every  load 
in  his  pistol,  saw  three  of  his  enemies  fall  dead  and  an- 
other wounded,  apparently  mortally.  At  this  the  Indians 
drew  down  their  guns  and  bows,  realizing  that  they  had 
caught  an  obstinate  Tartar  that  it  were  safer  to  kill  than 
to  capture.  But  Bill  was  too  quick  for  them ;  taking 
desperate  chances,  as  he  discharged  his  last  shot,  and 
still  holding  his  pistol  in  a  position  as  if  intending  to 


LIFE   OP  WILD 


177 


fire,  he  threw  himself  over  the  dangerous  brink  into  the 
stream  below. 

It  is  singular  how  fortune  follows  the  daring,  bat 
even  more  singular  how  lucky  circumstances  almost 
always  arose  to  deliver  Wild  Bill  when  surrounding  dan- 
gers seemed  to  offer  no  hope  for  escape.  So  it  again 
transpired  in  descending  from  the  stony  ledge  overhang-* 
ing  Beaver  Creek,  for  instead  of  being  dashed  to  pieces 


Taking  Desperate  Chances. 

•i  seriously  crippled,  Bill  fell  into  an  air-hole,  and 
beyond  the  chill  of  a  submersion,  he  escaped  all  serious 
results.  The  water  was  very  deep,  but  he  managed  to 
keep  well  concealed  from  the  Indians,  and  clambering 
under  the  ledge  soon  got  onto  the  ice,  which  he  found 
to  be  more  than  a  foot  in  thickness.  The  red-skins, 
lath  to  lose  a  victim  who  had,  for  the  time,  so  singularly 


178  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

escaped  them,  rode  up  the  bank  of  the  stream,  hoping 
to  find  a  less  precipitous  place,  where  a  safe  descent 
might  be  made  on  horseback,  and  following  back  under 
the  bank,  yet  capture  the  fugitive,  or  find  his  mangled 
body,  from  which  some  trophy  might  be  obtained. 

Bill  continued  his  journey  down  the  stream,  always 
keeping  under  the  protecting  ledge.  He  expected  the 
Indians  would  soon  appear,  and  with  this  fear  continual- 
ly harassing  him,  he  looked  on  every  side  for  some 
shelter  in  which  to  hide.  But  there  was  nothing  to  help 
him  out  of  the  position  which  strange  circumstances  had 
forced  him  into.  Darkness  had  now  intervened,  and 
this  alone  offered  any  hope  ;  but  even  this  seemed  to  be  of 
little  value  after  several  hours  of  rapid  traveling,  when  he 
still  found  no  place  at  which  he  could  ascend  out  of  the 
canon.  On  either  side  the  bank  rose  in  perpendicular 
walls,  growing  gradually  higher  as  he  advanced,  and 
towering  above  him  like  grim  monsters  anxious  to  topple 
over  and  make  sure  of  his  destruction. 

Having  had  nothing  to  eat  since  dining  on  the  sage- 
hen,  he  again  became  very  hungry ;  but  the  chances  of 
getting  anything  to  eat  were  only  equal  to  his  chances  of 
escape  and  reaching  Ft.  Fetterman.  All  night  long, 
therefore,  he  journeyed  on  the  ice,  maintaining  a 
watchful  regard  for  every  cleft  and  crevice  in  the  canon, 
fearful  of  each,  lest  it  might  be  a  passage-way  for  the 
Indians,  and  hoping  that  it  might  permit  his  ascent,  for 
in  following  the  devious  ways  of  Beaver  Creek  he  knew 
that,  instead  of  going  toward  to  the  Fort,  he  was  fre- 
quently traveling  in  an  opposite  direction. 

As  day  began  to  break  on  the  following  morning,  Bill 
discovered  the  protruding  trunk  of  a  large  cedar  tree,  by 
which  there  was  a  very  rugged  but  possible  ascent  up  the 
side  of  the  canon.  Being  exceedingly  tired,  he  concluded 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL. 


179 


to  rest  a  while  on  the  tree  trunk,  behind  which  he  could 
screen  himself  from  the  observation  of  the  Indians  should 
they  appear  on  the  ice,  and  in  which  place  he  felt  secure 
from  detection  by  any  one  above  him.  The  weather  had 
moderated  so  much  during  the  night  that  with  the  first 
rays  of  the  morning  sun  not  a  trace  of  snow  was  left  on 
the  ice  or  ground,  which  was  a  kindness  of  nature  toward 
the  fugitive  as  grateful  as  it  was  unexpected.  With  a 


Wild  Bill's  Miraculous  Escape  from  the  Indians. 

feeling  of  partial  relief,  he  gave  way  to  exhaustion,  and 
fell  asleep  hugging  the  trunk  of  his  friendly  shelter. 
When  he  awoke,  several  hours  afterward,  the  sky  was 
overcast  with  angry,  threatening  clouds,  while  a  succes- 
sion of  heaven's  cannonading  presaged  the  terrible  storm 
which  was  rapidly  approaching.  The  rain  soon  began  to 
fall  in  great  drops,  and  in  a  short  time  afterward  he 


180  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

heard  in  the  distance  the  mighty  roar  of  rushing  water 
as  it  came  down  the  canon.  Appreciating  the  danger  of 
his  position,  he  was  on  the  point  of  clambering  up  the 
rugged  bank  to  escape  the  rising  waters  when  his  atten- 
tion was  attracted  by  the  yells  of  Indians.  Looking  in 
the  direction  from  whence  the  sounds  proceeded,  he  wit- 
nessed with  intense  relief  the  struggles  of  his  now  fated 
enemies,  tossed  on  the  seething  crests  of  the  torrent  as  it 
tore  down  the  canon,  lashing  the  rocks  with  the  bodies 
of  horses  and  Indians,  stifling  their  despairing  cries  and 
sweeping  them  remorselessly  in  the  dreadful  billows. 
Fortune  had  again  favored  him.  His  enemies  were 
buried  in  the  destroying  foam  of  the  avalanche  of  grind- 
ing ice  and  water,  and  a  sure  way  for  his  escape  was 
opened  at  a  time  most  opportune. 

The  Indians  had  evidently  gone  many  miles  up  the 
creek  bank  before  they  found  a  place  permitting  their 
descent  onto  the  ice,  and  they  had  followed  down  the 
stream  only  to  be  caught  by  the  torrents  of  water  which 
cut  off  all  chances  for  their  escape. 

Bill  climbed  with  great  difficulty  to  the  top  of  the 
bank,  and  marking  a  straight  line  southward  reached  Fort 
Fetterman  in  an  exhausted  and  famished  condition  four 
days  after  leaving  his  desolated  camp. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

WILD  BILL  was  well  received  by  the  soldiers  garrisoned 
at  Fetterman,  and  after  relating  the  story  of  his  wonder- 
ful adventures  in  the  Black  Hills  there  was  great  desire 
manifested  to  at  once  organize  a  campaign  for  the  purpose 
of  punishing  the  tribe  that  was  responsible  for  the  per- 


LIFE   OF   WILD    BILL.  181 

petration  of  such  an  outrage.  But  Gen.  Curtis,  who 
had  command  of  the  troops,  could  not  move  without 
orders  from  Gen.  Sheridan,  and  Bill  therefore  returned 
to  Kansas  City.  His  five  months  stay  in  the  Hills,  how- 
ever, convinced  him  of  the  rich  deposits  of  gold  which 
that  section  contained,  and  he  decided  to  organize  an  ex- 
pedition from  the  States,  with  the  view  of  leading  a  force 
into  the  auriferous  region  of  such  strength  as  would  pro- 
vide security  against  molestation  from  the  Indians. 

In  furtherance  of  his  scheme  Bill  visited  several  cities, 
but  the  season  was  now  so  far  advanced  that  those  whom 
he  found  willing  to  join  such  an  *  expedition ,  prevailed 
upon  him  to  wait  until  the  following  spring,  1876,  when 
the  trip  could  be  made  more  advantageously. 

Returning  to  Kansas  City  he  remained  for  some  time 
inactive  owing  to  an  attack  of  ophthalmia  superinduced 
no  doubt  from  the  exposure  he  underwent  while  in  the 
Black  Hills.  Dr.  Thorne  treated  him  for  several  months 
with  such  success  that  his  eyesight,  which  was  for  a  time 
entirely  destroyed,  was  partly  restored,  but  he  never 
again  regained  his  perfect  vision. 

In  the  latter  part  of  February,  1876,  Wild  Bill  again 
visited  Cheyenne  with  the  view  of  perfecting  necessary 
arrangements  with  some  of  his  friends  of  that  place,  for 
entering  the  gold  region  with  his  proposed  expedition. 
By  a  singular  coincidence  (each  being  wholly  unaware 
of  the  other's  whereabouts,)  Mrs.  Lake  also  appeared  in 
Cheyenne  at  the  same  time,  visiting  one  of  her  relatives, 
Mr.  S.  L.  Moyer.  Each  had  been  in  the  town  nearly 
two  weeks  before  either  was  aware  of  the  other's  pres- 
ence, as  no  one  in  the  place  knew  of  the  tender  regard 
that  existed  between  them,  or  even  of  their  acquaintance. 
One  evening,  while  in  conversation  with  an  intimate 
friend,  Bill  spoke  of  his  admiration  for  Mrs.  Lake,  and 


182  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

forthwith  he  was  struck  with  astonishment  by  th& 
idtion  of  his  friend  : 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Lake  is  in  the  city  now;  didn't  you 
know  it?" 

"  Oh,  you're  joking,"  answered  Bill ;  "  if  I  was  cer- 
tain this  town  held  her  now,  you  could  just  prepare 
for  a  wedding,  and  that  mighty  quick,  too." 

"  No,  I'm  not  joking,  and  if  you  '11  go  over  with  me 
to  Mr.  Moyer's,  to  whom  I'll  introduce  you,  I'll  show 
you  Mrs.  Lake." 

This  proposition  satisfied  Bill,  and  the  two  immedi- 
ately started  for  Mr.  Moyer's  house,  where,  happy  realiza- 
tion, Bill  met  his  future  wife. 

Becoming  directly  acquainted  with  the  affectionate  re- 
lation sustained  between  Bill  and  Mrs.  Lake,  Mr.  Moyer 
and  his  family  withdrew  and  left  them  alone.  Wild  Bill 
then  renewed  his  suit,  and  pressed  his  claims  with  such 
persistency  that  the  engagement  was  perfected  and  ar- 
rangements concluded  for  the  wedding,  which  it  was 
agreed  should  take  place  on  the  following  day. 

Several  intimate  friends  of  Bill  were  surprised  to  re- 
ceive invitations,  on  the  morning  of  March  5th,  to  wit- 
ness the  wedding  ceremonies  of  J.  B.  Hickok,  (Wild 
Bill)  and  Mrs.  Agnes  Lake  Thatcher,  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  same  day.  Of  course  they  all  responded,  and  when 
the  contracting  parties  stood  up  it  was  before  an  audience 
numbering  about  twenty  persons.  The  Rev.  W.  F. 
Warren,  a  Methodist  divine  of  Cheyenne,  performed  the 
service  at  Mr.  Moyer's  residence,  and  after  receiving 
many  congratulations  the  couple  took  the  evening  train 
east  and  went  directly  to  St.  Louis,  where,  after  spend- 
ing a  few  days,  they  proceeded  to  Cincinnati,  where  nu- 
merous relatives  of  Mrs.  Lake  lived.  Here  they  were 
received  with  many  kind  manifestations  from  all  who 


x 


LIFE    OF   WILD   BILL.  183 

knew  them,  and  their  new  life  thus  began  under  au- 
spicious promises  for  future  happiness. 

In  this  connection  it  is  proper  to  give  the  reader  an  in- 
troduction to  the  new  wife  of  our  hero,  especially  since 
Mrs.  Hickok  is  a  lady  whose  name  has  been  prominently 
before  the  people  of  both  continents  for  many  years. 

The  widow  of  Wild  Bill  is  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  where 
she  was  born  in  1832  ;  her  maiden  name  was  Agnes 
Thatcher,  and  her  parents  were  persons  of  eminent 
standing.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  she  married  William 
Lake  who  soon  afterward  became  proprietor  of  a  circus 
and  followed  the  life  of  a  showman  until  his  unprovoked 
murder  in  1869.  As  an  arenic  clown  Lake  had  few 
equals  and  his  name  was  sufficient  to  pack  a  canvas. 

Mrs.  Lake,  at  an  early  age,  manifested  a  talent  fot 
the  profession  which  her  husband  so  fittingly  adorned. 
She  was  the  original  "  Mazeppa,"  and  played  this  great 
character  throughout  Europe  and  America ;  she  also  ap- 
peared on  the  theatre  boards  in  many  other  starring 
parts,  always  with  success.  After  joining  her  husband's 
circus  she  became  the  greatest  slack-wire  performer  in 
America,  and  was  the  first  person  to  execute  the  daring 
feat  of  trundling  a  wheelbarrow,  on  a  small  wire,  over 
the  centre-pole  of  a  circus  tent.  But  her  most  distin- 
guished performances  were  in  equestrian  acts,  and 
especially  as  a  manege  rider.  In  this  she  never  had  an 
equal  until  her  own  daughter,  Emma,  arose  to  a  position 
of  prominence  when  the  mother  had  retired  from  the 
arena.  In  her  travels — 1867-8— she  visited  the  largest 
cities  of  Prussia,  and  in  Berlin  she  appeared  as  "Mazep- 
pa"  at  the  Victoria  Theatre,  rendering  the  part  in  the 
German  language.  So  well  pleased  was  the  Emperor 
William,  who  witnessed  the  performance,  that  he  sent 
an  autograph  letter  of  thanks,  and  recommended  her 


184  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 

as  the  most  finished  actor  then  in  the  Empire.  For  a 
time  she  also  performed  the  daring  feat  of  entering  a 
den  of  lions  twice  each  day,  and  was  known  as  "  Senorita 
Agnes,  the  Lion  Queen."  After  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band, for  more  than  three  years  she  successfully  man^ 
aged  the  Hippo-Olympiad  Circus,  attending  to  all  the 
managerial  details  of  the  business  and  taking  the  part  of 
a  regular  performer  also.  An  interesting  book  of  itself 
might  be  written  concerning  the  life  of  this  excellent 
woman,  who  now,  nursing  the  grief  which  misfortune 
bequeathed  her — lamenting  the  loss  of  two  loving  hus- 
bands, both  of  whom  were  the  victims  of  foulest  murder 
— she  lives  only  in  the  ambition  of  her  beautiful  daugh- 
ter, her  only  child,  who  now  delights  the  Western  world 
with  her  electrical  horsemanship. 

Miss  Emma  Lake,  though  only  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  is  a  phenomenal  circus  rider,  whose  reputation  has 
spread  over  both  hemispheres.  She  is  indisputably 
without  an  equal  on  horseback,  especially  as  a  manege 
rider.  Beautiful  of  face  and  figure,  lithe  and  sinuous  as 
the  mother  of  grace,  indomitable  and  delighted  with  her 
profession,  she  has  achieved  a  rank  which  the  most  am- 
bitious woman  can  never  hope  to  excel.  In  addition  to 
her  achievements  in  the  ring  she  is  a  lady  of  extra- 
ordinary intelligence  and  culture,  possessing  a  finished 
education  and  most  refined  sensibilities.  Her  literary 
efforts  have  found  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  leading 
journals  of  America,  and  some  of  her  poetical  pro- 
ductions exhibit  decided  talent.  Miss  Emma  Lake,  as 
she  is  known  among  those  of  her  profession,  is  the  wife 
of  Gil.  Robinson,  jr.,  son  of  the  celebrated  John  Robin^ 
son,  of  circus  fame.  She  has  been  traveling,  hovreyer, 
with  P.  T.  Barnum's  Exhibition  for  several  years,  re- 
ceiving the  largest  salary  of  any  person  employed  by  that 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL.  185 

well-known  showman.  Her  residence  is  in  Cincinnati, 
where  she  has  an  elegant  home.  She  has  one  child,  a 
beautiful  little  girl,  who  is  the  pride  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  with  her  lives  Mrs.  Hickok,  whose  every  want 
is  administered  to  with  true  filial  devotion. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WILD  BILL  remained  with  his  wife  in  Cincinnati  nearly 
two  weeks,  and  then  giving  her  an  affectionate  good- 
bye, went  directly  to  St.  Louis  for  the  purpose  of  get- 
ting his  proposed  expedition  organized.  Excitement 
over  the  Black  Hills  discoveries  was  now  at  fever  heat, 
and  a  lively  business  was  being  done  at  Bismarck  and 
Cheyenne  in  fitting  out  parties  who  were  rushing  into  the 
gold  region  with  reckless  haste.  A  great  number  of 
those  intent  on  reaching  the  Hills  went  by  boat  from  St. 
Louis  to  Bismarck  and  then  overland.  But  Bill  con- 
sidered the  route  from  Cheyenne  as  the  most  expeditious 
and  practicable  ;  and  his  company  was  organized  to  pro- 
ceed that  way,  where  outfits  could  be  had  much  cheaper 
than  at  Bismarck. 

It  required  several  days  to  make  up  the  desired  num- 
ber of  men,  as  Bill  had  fixed  upon  not  less  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  and  during  this  period  of  organization  he 
daily  visited  the  writer,  who  was  then  city  editor  of  the 
Evening  Dispatch,  and  reported  the  progress  of  his 
scheme. 

In  the  latter  part  of  March  about  one  hundred  persons 
had  joined  the  expedition  at  St.  Louis,  and  nearly  as 
many  more  had  enlisted  under  Carpenter  at  Kansas  City, 
so  that  the  two  companies  were  consolidated  and  started 


186  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

to  the  Black  Hills  via  Cheyenne  on  the  12th  of  April. 
The  party  was  guided  through  safely,  reaching  the  Hills 
in  the  first  part  of  May.  In  the  meantime  the  town  of 
Deadwood  had  sprung  into  being  and  was  filling  up  with 
the  rapidity  only  known  to  mining  towns.  Rough  shan- 
ties and  tents  dotted  the  hillsides ;  creaking  wagons 
marked  out  the  streets  by  establishing  roadways,  and  a 
hundred  saloons  and  other  evil  concomitants  loomed  up 
in  swelling  the  town's  importance. 


VIEW  OF  DEADWOOD. 

Having  settled  the  men,  or  rather  discharged  his  duties 
as  guide,  Bill  established  himself  in  Deadwood  to  watch 
for  an  opportunity  to  make  a  profitable  strike.  He  had 
located  several  claims  and  was  making  arrangements  to 
complete  the  necessary  assessment  work  by  trading  claims 
for  labor. 

Deadwood,  like  every  other  big  mining  town  that  ha« 
yet  been  located  in  the  West,  was  full  of  rough  charao- 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  187' 

ters,  renegades,  cut-throats,  gamblers  and  the  devil's 
agents  generally.  Night  and  day  the  wild  orgies  of  de- 
praved humanity  continued ;  a  fiddler  was  an  important 
personage,  provided  he  would  hire  out  to  saw  all  night  in 
a  saloon,  and  the  concert  singer  was  a  bonanza,  especially 
if  the  voice  were  clothed  in  petticoats.  The  arbiter  of  all 
disputes  was  either  a  knife  or  pistol,  and  the  graveyard 
soon  started  with  a  steady  run  of  victims.  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  were  both  dull,  stupid  towns  compared  with 
Deadwood,  for  in  a  square  contest  for  the  honors  of 
moral  depravity  the  Black  Hills'  capital  could  give  the 
people  of  the  Dead  Sea  cities  three  points  in  the  game 
and  then  skunk  them  both. 

Wild  Bill  indulged  his  propensities  more  or  less  while 
in  Deadwood,  but  continued  to  prospect  and  avoided 
difficulties  of  every  character  until  the  day  of  his 
murder. 

In  my  first  "  Life  of  Wild  Bill "  I  was  led  into  mak- 
ing a  very  unjust  allusion,  which  was  as  far  from  the 
truth  as  the  poles  are  apart.  This  arose  from  informa- 
tion which  I  believed  trustworthy  but  which  I  definitely 
ascertained  sometime  afterward,  was  a  malicious  report, 
and  the  pleasure  I  now  have  in  correcting  the  evil  which 
I  unconsciously  committed  by  that  act  is  such  that  I 
should  be  glad  to  extend  the  excuse  and  correction  far 
beyond  the  limits  of  this  book,  and  make  my  assurances 
of  regret  in  person. 

The  allusion  referred  to  was  in  doubting  the  affection 
of  Bill  for  his  wife  and  asserting  that  a  final  separation 
had  occurred  between  them  before  Bill  left  for  the  Hills. 
The  facts  are,  no  man  ever  loved  a  woman  more  ardently 
than  Bill  did  his  wife ;  she  was  in  his  very  soul ;  her 
gpirit  was  his  ruling  mentor  and  all  his  ambition  was 
centered  in  her  happiness.  How  true  this  is  may  be  in- 


188  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

ferred  from  the  following  letter,  the  very  last  Bill  ever 
wrote.  I  copy  from  the  original,  which  is  at  present  in 
my  possession  : 

DEAD  WOOD,  DAKOTA,  July  17th,  1876. 
MY  OWN  DARLING  WIFE  AGNES  : 

I  have  but  a  few  moments  left  before  this  letter  starts. 
I  never  was  as  well  in  my  life  ;  but  you  would  laugh  to 
see  me  now — just  got  in  from  prospecting.  Will  go 
away  again  to-morrow.  Will  write  again  in  the  morning, 
but  God  knows  when  the  letter  will  start.  My  friend 
will  take  this  to  Cheyenne  if  he  lives. 

I  don't  expect  to  hear  from  you,  but  it  is  all  the  same  ; 
I  know  my  Agnes  and  only  live  to  love  her.  Never 
mind,  Pet,  we  will  have  a  home  yet,  then  we  will  be  so 
happy.  I  am  almost  sure  I  will  do  well  here. 

The  man  is  hurrying  me.  Good  bye,  dear  wife. 
Love  to  Emma. 

J.  B.  HICKOK. 

This  letter  is  copied  verbatim.  It  will  be  seen  that, 
he  promises  to  write  again  on  the  following  day,  but  he 
either  neglected  to  fulfill  the  promise  or  the  letter  mis- 
carried, for  the  one  here  reproduced  was  the  last  Mrs. 
Hickok  ever  received  from  him. 

The  last  act  in  the  life  of  Wild  Bill  was  fast  approach- 
ing when  this  letter  was  written.  Though  he  lived  in 
apparent  peace  with  every  one  in  Dead  wood,  far  re- 
moved as  he  was  from  the  scenes  of  his  personal  con- 
flicts, where  he  looked  for  enemies  in  every  corner  and 
at  every  turn,  yet  even  here,  while  among  new  found 
friends,  it  was  destined  that  he  should  die  at  the 
hands  of  as  cowardly  a  villain  as  God  ever  placed  on 
this  sphere  to  disgrace  the  name  of  humanity. 

Returning  from  another  prospecting  tour  along  the 
gulches  in  the  Black  Hills,  Wild  Bill  repaired  to  a  saloon 
kept  by  Nuttall  &  Mann,  and  engaged  in  a  game  of 
poker.  His  opponent  in  the  game  was  a  fellow  he  had 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  191 

never  seen  before,  named  Jack  McCall.  This  man  had 
been  at  work  for  three  or  four  different  parties  in  the 
Hills,  and  as  his  previous  history  was  unknown,  he  pass- 
ed for  a  "gentleman,"  to  use  the  term  in  a  qualified 
sense.  The  two  played  for  several  hours  and  until  the 
game  was  concluded  by  Bill  having  won  largely  from 
McCall- — about  five  hundred  dollars.  But  though  the 
play  had  been  a  very  disastrous  one  for  Jack,  yet  he  ap- 
peared in  no  wise  ill-humored,  and  acknowledged  that  he 
had  been  beaten  in  a  fair  game. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  (Wednesday, 
August  2d),  after  his  successful  bout  with  McCall,  Bill 
again  engaged  in  a  game  of  poker  at  the  same  saloon, 
with  Carl  Mann,  Charley  Rich  and  Captain  Massey,  a 
Missouri  river  pilot.  The  quartette  of  gamesters  were 
nil  laughing  and  joking  as  the  game  progressed,  indicat- 
ing that  none  had  lost  so  heavily  as  to  disturb  the 
equanimity  of  temper.  About  three  o'clock  P.  M.  Jack 
McCall  was  seen  entering  the  saloon  in  a  careless  man- 
ner, so  that  not  the  least  suspicion  was  created  as  to  the 
cowardly,  villainous  purpose  of  his  visit.  But  with  that 
calculating  carefulness  with  which  an  arrant  coward 
always  conceals  his  designs,  McCall  walked  up  to  the 
bar  and  around  behind  his  victim.  Then,  with  an  anxious 
glance  lest  some  one  of  the  party  might  detect  his  move- 
ments, he  jerked  out  a  large  pistol  and  placing  the  muz- 
zle within  a  yard  of  Wild  Bill's  head,  fired,  exclaiming 
at  the  time,  but  in  a  subdued  voice :  "  Damn  you,  take 
that!"  The  ball  went  crashing  through  the  back  of 
Bill's  head  and  came  out  at  the  center  of  his  right 
cheek;  but  before  it  had  spent  its  force  it  struck 
Capt.  Massey  in  the  left  arm,  shivering  the  bone,  and 
was  so  firmly  embedded  that  it  had  to  be  cut  out. 
Wild  Bill  dropped  his  head  f orward,  the  cards  fell  from 


192  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS, 

his  relaxing  grasp,  and,  in  a  succession  of  slow  move- 
ments, he  slipped  out  of  the  chair  and  then  fell  prone 
upon  the  floor.  The  murderer's  work  had  been  thor- 
oughly done,  for  his  victim  died  without  a  convulsive 
shiver  and  lay  before  him  covered  with  a  growing  pallor ; 
but  on  the  face,  though  the  shattered  cheek  was  crim- 
soned with  a  flow  of  richest  blood,  the  last  smile  still 
lingered,  as  if  to  proclaim  the  triumph  of  his  manhood, 
in  showing  how  bravely  he  could  die. 

After  firing;  the  fatal  shot   McCall  drove  the   crowd 

o 

before  him  out  of  the  saloon  and  resisted  arrest  until  the 
fear  possessed  him  that  some  avenging  friend  of  Bill's 
would  slay  him.  It  was  then  the  assassin  offered  to  sub- 
mit to  a  trial  and  accept  the  consequences  of  his  act.  He 
was  taken  to  a  building  in  the  lower  part  of  the  town, 
where  a  volunteer  guard  was  placed  over  him. 

Within  an  hour  after  the  murder  the  whole  of  Dead- 
wood  was  in  a  furore  of  excitement.  A  coroner's  jury 
was  soon  empanneled  with  C.  H.  Sheldon  as  foreman, 
which,  after  a  short  inquiry,  rendered  a  verdict  in  accord- 
ance with  the  circumstances  as  here  related. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

AFTER  receiving  the  verdict  of  the  coroner's  jury,  im- 
mediate preparations  were  made  for  the  trial  of  the  mur-* 
derer.  McDaniel's  theatre  was  chosen  as  the  most  suit- 
able place  for  conducting  the  proceedings,  as  it  was  cer- 
tain a  very  large  crowd  would  be  in  attendance.  There 
was  no  regular  court  at  Deadwood,  and  in  the  absence  of 
duly  qualified  officers  it  was  determined  to  conduct  the 


LIFE  OP  WILD   BILL.  193 

trial  according  to  the  usages  of  self-constituted  courts 
outside  the  pale  of  established  legal  jurisdictions. 

A  meeting  of  citizens  was  held  at  the  theatre  during 
the  evening,  at  which  preparations  were  made  for  the 
trial.  Judge  W.  L.  Kuykendall  presided  over  the  as- 
semblage, and  after  stating  the  object  of  the  meeting  he 
was  unanimously  chosen  as  Judge  in  the  trial  of  the  mur- 
derer. Isaac  Brown  was  elected  sheriff,  and  one  deputy 
and  twelve  guards  were  appointed  by  the  presiding  of- 
ficer. After  proceeding  thus  far  an  adjournment  was 
had  until  nine  o'clock  the  following  day,  in  order  that 
some  time  might  be  had  for  necessary  preparations,  and 
to  convey  an  announcement  of  the  results  of  the  meet- 
ing to  the  miners  of  the  Whitewood  and  Deadwood  dis- 
tricts. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  on  Thursday,  the  meeting  was 
called  pursuant  to  adjournment,  when  the  action  of  the 
preceding  meeting  was  submitted  in  a  report  read  by  J. 
A.  Swift,  and  adopted.  Col.  May  was  chosen  to  con- 
duct the  prosecution  while  the  prisoner  selected  A.  B. 
Chapline  to  defend  him,  but  as  Chapline  was  quite  ill  at 
the  time,  Judge  Miller  was  named  instead.  A  commit- 
tee of  three,  consisting  of  Mr.  Reid,  of  Gayville,  Jos. 
Harrington,  of  Deadwood,  and  Mr.  Cain,  of  Montana 
City,  was  next  appointed  by  the  chair,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  select  the  names  of  thirty-three  residents  from  each  of 
their  respective  districts,  and  from  the  names  thus  sub- 
mitted the  jury  of  twelve  was  to  be  drawn. 

Having  now  completed  all  the  necessary  arrangements 
another  adjournment  was  ordered  until  two  o'clock  P.  M. 
when  the  trial  was  to  begin. 

The  excitement  on  the  streets  continued  to  increase 
and  sentiments  of  every  character  were  fully  expressed. 
Some  favored  a  lynching  before  trial,  a  few  deemed  the 


194  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

act  justifiable,  while  a  greater  number  were  disposed  to 
abide  the  finding  of  the  jury  after  a  fair  trial. 

Promptly  at  the  hour  appointed  the  chosen  officers 
filed  into  the  theater  building,  the  prisoner  being  con- 
ducted by  the  sheriff  and  guards.  The  improvised  court 
room,  however,  was  fairly  packed  an  hour  before,  and 
the  officers  therefore  had  to  elbow  their  way  to  the  plat- 
form. 

Jack  McCall,  as  he  took  a  seat  on  the  right  of  Judge 
Kuykondall,  presented  a  most  forbidding  appearance. 
He  was  twenty-five  years  of  age,  but  dissipation  and  a 
low  life  had  painted  their  stains  on  his  ugly  features. 
His  brow  was  low  and  retreating,  as  a  sign  of  his  cow- 
ardly and  brutal  propensities,  while  sandy  hair,  small 
moustaches  and  cross-eyes  completed  the  unmistakable 
evidences  of  his  villainous  character.  He  attempted  to 
appear  indifferent  and  assume  the  role  of  a  desperado 
who  had  been  accustomed  to  acting  such  parts,  but  de- 
spite this  effort  the  chicken  liver  he  possessed  made  his 
flesh  creep  and  the  blanche  and  color  of  his  cheeks  come 
and  go  like  a  patient  badly  overcome  with  intermittent 
fever. 

The  first  proceeding  was  a  selection  of  jurors.  The 
ninety-nine  names  submitted  by  the  committee  were 
written  on  slips  of  paper  and  placed  in  a  hat,  from  which 
they  were  drawn  by  the  deputy  sheriff.  As  each  name 
was  called  the  person  responding  thereto  was  examined 
touching  his  qualifications  to  serve  as  a  juror  in  the  case. 
Nearly  all  had  either  formed  or  expressed  an  opinion  as 
to  the  guilt  of  the  prisoner,  and  the  venire  was  therefore 
almost  exhausted  before  the  necessary  panel  of  twelve 
was  chosen,  and  which  consisted  of  the  following  persons  : 
John  Mann,  J.  J.  Bumfs,  L.  D.  Brokow,  Edward  Burke,  L. 
A.  Judd,  J.  H.  Thompson,  Charles  Whitehead,  John  E. 


LITE  OF  WILD  BILL.  195 

Thompson,  Geo.  S.  Hopkins,  K.  F.  Towle,  J.  F.  Cooper 
and  Alexander  Travis.  The  jury  being  sworn,  the  trial 
proceeded.  The  witnesses  examined  were  Charles  Rich, 
Carl  Mann,  Samuel  Young,  an  employe  at  the  saloon, 
Geo.  M.  Shingle,  who  was  also  a  witness  of  the  tragedy, 
Isaac  Brown,  who  arrested  the  prisoner,  Patrick  H. 
Smith,  H.  H.  Pitkins  and  Ira  Ford.  The  last  three  were 
introduced  on  behalf  of  defendant  to  prove  his  character 
as  a  peaceable  man.  The  evidence  was  all  in  accordance 
with  the  facts  of  the  tragedy  as  reported,  except  that 
considerable  time  was  consumed  in  eliciting  opinions  of 
witnesses  respecting  the  character  of  both  Wild  Bill  and 
his  murderer,  and  of  course  a  great  variety  of  opin* 
ions  were  expressed. 

After  the  testimony  was  concluded,  the  prisoner  was 
asked  if  he  desired  to  make  any  statement. 

"Yes,"  was  his  response,  "I  have  a  few  words  to 
say,"  and  stepping  down  from  the  perch  on  which  he 
had  been  sitting  into  the  auditorium,  he  placed  one  hand 
inside  the  front  opening  of  his  woolen  shirt,  and  throw- 
ing back  his  head  in  an  imperious  manner,  delivered  him- 
self as  follows  :  "Well,  men,  I  have  but  few  words  to 
say.  Wild  Bill  killed  my  brother,  and  I  killed  him. 
Wild  Bill  threatened  to  kill  me  if  I  ever  crossed  his  path. 
I  am  not  sorry  for  what  I  done  ;  if  I  had  to,  I  would  do 
the  same  thing  over  again."  He  then  returned  to  his 
place  on  the  stage. 

The  prosecuting  attorney,  instead  of  making  an  open- 
ing argument,  used  the  time  in  bringing  out  the  testi- 
mony of  a  number  of  persons  who  swore  that  Wild  Bill 
had  been  much  abused  and  a  reputation  given  him  for 
atrocious  deeds  which  he  never  deserved :  that  in  every 
instance  when  he  killed  any  one  the  act  had  always  been 
declared  as  justifiable  by  every  fair-minded  person. 


196  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Judge  Miller,  the  defendant's  counsel,  then  followed, 
making  a  very  able  appeal  in  behalf  of  his  client ;  though 
not  a  scintilla  of  evidence  had  been  produced  showing 
that  Wild  Bill  had  killed  McCall's  brother,  yet  he  used 
the  assertion  made  by  the  prisoner  with  telling  effect. 
He  eloquently  enlarged  on  the  intention  of  the  defendant, 
who,  as  he  asserted,  had  not  considered  the  act  as  mur- 
der, but  a  just  revenge  for  the  killing  of  his  brother ; 
that  Bill's  dexterity  in  the  use  of  firearms  rendered  it 
impossible  for  the  prisoner  to  meet  his  victim  "  on  the 
square,"  as  such  an  attempt  would  have  been  almost 
equal  to  suicide.  In  addition  to  this  kind  of  argument 
the  Judge  closed  with  the  following  appeal  to  the  jury  : 
"Men,  comrades,  you  have  been  chosen  to  decide  the 
guilt  and  punishment  of  one  of  your  own  companions ; 
look  upon  the  honest  countenance  of  this  poor  boy  who 
is  being  tried  for  his  life  because  he  struck  down  the 
assassin  of  a  dearly  beloved  brother  ;  note,  particularly, 
that  unflinching  and  innocent  eye,  which  could  not  possi- 
bly belong  to  a  man  who  could  do  any  wrong,"  and  con- 
tinued for  nearly  half  an  hour  in  coining  similar  extrava- 
gant qualifications  which  were  a  very  parody  on  the  brute 
who  was  on  trial ;  or  as  a  correspondent  who  was  present 
at  the  trial  said,  in  his  comments  on  the  Judge's 
panegyric,  "the  eye,  the  face,  and  in  fact  everything 
about  the  prisoner,  denoted  villainy  and  iniquity  as  an 
innate  part  of  his  nature." 

The  Judge  certainly  deserved  credit  for  making  so  able 
an  effort  when  there  was  no  real  basis  upon  which  to  rest 
a  valid  defense. 

5  Col.  May  made  the  closing  argument  on  behalf  of  the 
prosecution,  and  those  who  knew  him  best  declared  it 
the  ablest  speech  of  his  life.  After  rehearsing  the  facts 
of  the  case  he  declared  that  *  *  if  this  be  not  murder  then 


LITE   OF   WILD   BILL.  197 

there  never  was  murder  committed.  The  deceased  in 
his  bloody  winding-sheet,  from  his  mountain  grave,  de- 
manded that  a  proper  punishment  be  meted  out  to  his 
villainous  assassin."  He  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
no  testimony  had  been  adduced  to  show  that  Wild  Bill 
had  ever  done  a  single  unlawful  act,  but  contended  that 
in  every  instance  where  he  had  shed  human  blood  that 
he  was  justifiable  in  so  doing,  and  that  no  evidence  had 
been  submitted  to  show  that  he  had  threatened  the  life 
of  the  prisoner.  "  It  is  strange,"  said  the  Colonel,  "if 
the  prisoner  has  been  living  for  years  with  a  sworn  deter- 
mination to  kill  Wild  Bill,  that  only  two  days  ago  he 
should  have  been  pleasantly  engaged  playing  cards  with 
him."  He  appealed  for  justice  in  the  name  of  law  and 
civilization,  and  begged  the  people  not  to  suffer  such  an 
atrocious  and  unprovoked  crime  to  go  unpunished  lest 
the  barbaric  code  of  the  Indians  become  the  arbiter  of 
disputes. 

The  trial  was  not  concluded  until  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  at  which  time  the  case  was  given  to  the  jury, 
and  they  repaired  to  a  wing  of  the  theatre  to  prepare 
their  verdict.  As  was  afterward  ascertained,  when  the 
jury  first  voted  there  were  eleven  for  acquittal  and  one 
for  conviction.  Some  debate  then  followed  among 
them,  when  another  juror  proposed  that  the  prisoner  be 
fined  in  the  sum  of  twenty  dollars  and  then  released,  or 
be  committed  until  the  fine  should  be  paid.  After  an 
hour  and  thirty  minutes  of  discussion  the  jury  came  to  a 
compromise  conclusion,  and  when  they  returned  into 
court,  which  remained  in  session  awaiting  a  verdict,  the 
foreman  handed  to  the  clerk  their  finding,  which  read  as 
follows : 

"  We,  the  jurors,  find  the  prisoner,  Mr.  John  McCall, 
not  guilty. 

"  CHARLES  WHITEHEAD,  Foreman." 


198  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

The  prisoner  was  immediately  released,  and  some  few 
who  sanctioned  this  endorsement  of  one  of  the  foulest, 
premeditated  and  utterly  indefensible  murders  ever  com- 
mitted, had  the  audacity  to  congratulate  McCall  on  his 
acquittal.  Thus  ended  this  self -constituted  farcical 
court,  and  the  citizens  who  attended  the  trial  at  once 
went  to  their  homes  and  cleaned  up  their  weapons.  If 
the  society  of  Deadwood  permitted  one  man  to  slaughter 
another  with  impunity  in  the  manner  McCall  had  killed 
Wild  Bill,  then  every  person  in  the  place  recognized  the 
overshadowing  importance  of  being  prepared  for  emer- 
gencies. 


CHAPTER  XVm. 

AFTER  the  inquest  on  the  remains  of  Wild  Bill  the 
body  was  given  in  charge  of  Charley  Utter  (Colorado 
Charley)  whose  friendship  for  the  dead  man  had  existed 
for  many  years.  A  bier,  or  litter,  was  made  by  laying 
some  boards  across  two  poles,  on  which  the  body  was 
placed  and  carried  by  a  procession  of  friends  across  the 
creek  to  Utter' s  camp.  Here  the  final  preparations  for 
the  funeral  were  made,  and  that  too  with  a  hand  which 
took  this  last  means  of  demonstrating  the  depth  of  its 
friendship.  Charley  was  much  affected  by  the  death  of 
his  old  comrade,  and  like  a  true  brother  during  life,  his 
love  and  admiration  intensified  when  death  severed  th( 
bond  of  companionship. 

A  romantic  and  beautiful  arbor  was  constructed  at  th( 
foot  of  the  most  majestic  trees  in  the  gulch  by  Utter 's 
camp,  under  which  the  body  of  Wild  Bill  was  laid,  while 
a  fine  coffin  was  ordered,  and  the  following  funeral  notice 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  199 

was  printed  and  distributed  among  all  the  miners  of  the 
district : 

FUNERAL  NOTICE. 

DIED  in  Deadwood,  Black  Hills,  August  2d,  1876, 
from  the  effects  df  a  pistol  shot,  J.  B.  Hickok,  (Wild 
Bill) ,  formerly  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  Funeral  services 
will  be  held  at  Charley  Utter 's  camp  on  Thursday  after- 
noon, August  3d,  1876,  at  three  o'clock,  p.  M. 

All  are  respectfully  invited  to  attend. 

At  the  appointed  hour,  notwithstanding  the  large  num- 
ber who  were  in  attendance  at  the  trial,  fully  fifty  friends 
.and  admirers  of  the  deceased  assembled  at  Utter' s  camp 
ready  to  pay  the  last  rites  of  respect  to  him  whose  lif  e 
had  been  such  a  fitful  dream.  The  mortal  remains  of 
Wild  Bill  now  reposed  in  a  handsome  comn  mounted 
with  silver  ornaments  and  covered  with  black  cloth.  The 
body  was  handsomely  dressed  in  the  best  clothes  obtain- 
able in  Deadwood.  A  more  complete  picture  of  perfect 
rest  and  resignation  was  never  seen  than  that  which  the 
dead  scout  presented.  The  gaping  wound  in  his  cheek 
had  been  deftly  closed  and  was  scarcely  noticeable ;  hi& 
long,  beautiful,  chestnut  hair  lay  parted  evenly  across 
his  forehead  and  fell  gracefully  over  his  broad  shoulders. 
The  face  was  a  study  for  any  beholder  ;  instead  of  mani- 
festing the  agony  of  death,  there  was  nothing  but  peace 
and  contentment  on  his  features  ;  the  lips  were  slightly 
parted  as  if  still  smiling  at  the  last  joke  which  was  pass- 
ing around  the  table  when  the  fatal  shot  was  fired.  Be- 
side him,  in  his  coffin,  lay  his  carbine  rifle  that  he  had 
carried  for  many  years,  and  was  now  to  be  buried  with 
him  according  to  a  wish  he  had  often  expressed. 

A  grave  had  been  prepared  in  a  most  romantically 
lovely  spot  on  the  mountain  side,  over  which  spread  the 
foliage  of  redolent  pine  trees,  and  around  which  was  a 
profusion  of  wild  flowers,  freighting  the  air  with  deli- 

12 


300  HEROES  OF   THE  PLAINS, 

cious  perfume*.  On  every  side,  making  the  landscape 
replete  with  nature's  grandest  effects,  were  towering 
boulders,  from  between  the  crevices  of  which  peeped  out 
fragrant  sweet  wiihams  and  violets,  mingling  their  in- 
cense with  the  concert  of  warbling  voices  in  the  branches 
overhead.  It  was  such  a  spot  as  the  brave  sleeper  would 
have  selected  for  his  sepulcher,  for  he  loved  the  forest 
solitudes,  and  made  companionship  with  the  wilds  of 
the  wilderness. 

Here,  under  the  bright  arch  of  an  auspicious  heaven, 
under  the  arbor  nature  had  prepared  with  lavish  hand, 
Wild  Bill  was  laid  in  that  sleep  which,  perchance, 
is  eternal  waking,  and  with  him  were  all  his  animosities, 
his  desires  for  revenge,  his  ambitions,  and  his  expecta- 
tions. 

A  clergyman  read  an  impressive  funeral  service  over 
the  grave,  after  which  the  earth's  warm,  virgin  sod,  full 
of  bursting  seeds  and  growing  flowers,  soon  covered  the 
remains  of  t'he  greatest  scout,  spy  and  fighter  any  nation, 
perhaps,  ever  produced. 

A  large  stump  stood  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  and 
upon  this  was  rudely  carved  the  following : 

"A  brave  man,  the  victim  af  an  assassin,  J.  B.  Hickok 
(Wild  Bill),  aged  48  years  ;*  murdered  by  Jack  McCall, 
August  2,  1876." 

The  funeral  ceremonies  having  been  completed,  those 
who  had  assisted  in  the  last  services  went  directly  to  the 
theater  building  where  the  trial  of  McCall  was  still  in 
progress.  After  hearing  the  verdict  read  and  seeing  the 
murderer  liberated,  California  Joe,  an  old  mend  of 
Bill's,  who  chanced  to  be  in  Deadwood  when  tne  assas- 
sination occurred,  stepped  up  to  McCall  and  said : 

*At  the  time  of  his  death  Wild  Bill's  age  was  39  years,  IO  month*  and  12 
days. 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  201 

"  Look  a  here, young  chap,  these  here  regions  haint  very 
healthy  for  you  jist  now ;  so  you'd  better  lose  no  time  in 
clearing  outen  these  diggins,  er  yer  skin  won't  hold  water 
no  morn'n  a  camp  sieve  inside  o'  twenty-four  hours." 

At  night  several  of  the  murdered  man' s  friends  held  a 
secret  meeting,  at  which  it  was  decided  to  lynch  McCali, 
but  their  plans  were  frustrated  by  the  assassin  having 
taken  California  Joe's  warning,  as  he  found  the  climate 
suddenly  very  oppressive  and  injurious. 

Tlxe  following  beautiful  poem  was  written  by  Capt. 
Jack.  Crawford,  the  poet  scout,  one  of  Wild  Bill's  most 
intimate  comrades,  a  sketch  of  whose  life  will  be  found 
in  the  latter  part  of  this  work.  It  was  dedicated  to  Col- 
orado Charley  and  commented  on  by  the  press  generally 
as  oi>e  of  the  finest  specimens  of  Western  poetic  senti- 
ever  published : 

BUKIAL  OF  WILD  BILL. 

[Written  for  the  N.  Y.  Clipper.] 

Under  the  sod  ih  the  prairie  land 

We  have  laid  him  down  to  rest, 
With  many  a  tear  from  the  sad,  rough  throng, 

And  the  friends  he  loved  the  best ; 
And  many  a  heartfelt  sigh  was  heard 

As  over  the  sward  we  trod, 
And  many  an  eye  was  filled  with  tears 

As  we  covered  him  with  the  sod. 

Under  the  sod  in  the  prairie  land 

We  have  laid  the  good  and  true— 
An  honest  heart  and  a  noble  scout 

Has  bade  us  a  last  adieu. 
No  more  his  silvery  voice  will  ring, 

His  spirit  has  gone  to  God ; 
Around  his  faults  let  charity  cling, 

While  we  cover  him  with  the  sod. 


202  HEKOES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

Under  the  sod  in  the  land  of  gold 

We  have  laid  the  fearless  Bill ; 
We  called  him  Wild,  yet  a  little  child 

Could  bend  his  iron  will. 
With  generous  heart  he  freely  gave 

To  the  poorly  clad ,  unshod — 
Think  of  it,  pards — of  his  noble  traits—- 

While  you  cover  him  with  the  sod. 

Under  the  sod  in  Deadwood  Gulch 

You  have  laid  his  last  remains ; 
No  more  his  manly  form  will  hail 

The  Red  Man  on  the  plains. 
And,  Charley,  may  Heaven  bless  you! 

You  gave  him  a  "  bully  good  send ;" 
Bill  was  a  friend  to  you,  pard, 

And  you  were  his  last,  best  friend. 

You  buried  him  'neaththe  old  pine  tree, 

In  that  little  world  of  ours, 
His  trusty  rifle  by  his  side — 

His  grave  all  strewn  with  flowers ; 
His  manly  form  in  sweet  repose, 

That  lovely  silken  hair — 
I  tell  you,  pard,  it  was  a  sight, 

That  face  so  white  and  fair  I 

And  while  he  sleeps  beneath  the  sod 

His  murderer  goes  free, 
Released  by  a  perjured,  gaming  set 

Who'd  murder  you  and  me — 
Whose  coward  hearts  dare  never  meet 

A  brave  man  on  the  square. 
Well,  pard,  they'll  find  a  warmer  clime 

Than  they  ever  found  out  there. 


LIFE  OF  WILD   BELL.  208 

Hell  is  full  of  just  such  men ; 

And  if  Bill  is  above  to-day, 
The  Almighty  will  have  enough  to  do 

To  keep  him  from  going  away — 
That  is,  from  making  a  little  scout 

To  the  murderer' s  home  below ; 
And  if  old  Peter  will  let  him  out, 

He  can  clean  out  the  ranche,  I  know. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

JACK  McCALL  left  Deadwood  on  the  day  following  his 
acquittal  and  went  direct  to  Ouster  City.  Within  a 
short  time  after  his  appearance  in  that  town,  unable  to 
restrain  his  braggadocio  inclination,  he  told  certain  per- 
sons how  he  had  killed  Wild  Bill,  and  boasted  of  the 
deed  as  a  most  commendable  act.  He  was  at  once  ar- 
rested by  a  Deputy  TJ.  S.  Marshal,  and  at  a  preliminary 
hearing,  Judge  Blair  decided  to  hold  the  prisoner  and 
send  him  to  Yankton  for  trial.  C.  W.  Bramel  appeared 
for  the  defendant  in  the  first  hearing,  and  Attorney- 
General  Jenkins  prosecuted.  McCall  was  taken  to 
Yankton,  without  delay,  by  Marshal  Bal combe,  and 
there  held  until  the  U.  S.  District  Court  sat  in  January 
following,  when  the  prisoner  was  put  upon  trial.  The 
Witnesses  for  the  prosecution  nearly  all  appeared  without 
special  summons,  as  they  were  anxious  to  see  a  tardy 
justice  done  at  last. 

The  trial  continued  but  little  more  than  one  day,  and 
as  the  testimony  was  a  repetition  of  that  elicited  by  the 
impromptu  court  at  Deadwood,  a  verdict  of  guilty  was 
returned  almost  without  deliberation,  and  the  Justice, 


204  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

after  a  few  days,  passed  sentence  of  death  upon  McCall, 
the  time  of  his  execution  being  fixed  for  March  1st,  1877. 

Notwithstanding  the  deep-dyed  villainy  of  Wild  Bill's 
murderer,  he  still  had  some  friends  who  exerted  all  the 
influence  they  could  command  to  save  him  from  the  fate 
he  so  richly  deserved.  Petitions  for  respite  and  com- 
mutation of  sentence  were  freely  circulated,  which,  ob- 
taining some  signatures,  were  forwarded  to  the  President, 
hoping  to  secure  the  Executive's  interference  ;  but  they 
all  failed , 

When  the  time  for  the  execution  arrived  Yankton 
presented  a  very  animated  appearance,  as  people  came 
from  many  miles  around  to  witness  the  first  official 
hanging  in  Dakota  Territory. 

Father  Doxacher,  a  Catholic  priest,  visited  the  fated 
prisoner  and  administered  spiritual  nerve  to  fortify  him 
for  the  scene  about  to  be  enacted.  A  scaffold  having 
been  erected  on  the  open  prairie  about  two  miles  north  of 
Yankton,  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  March  1st;, 
the  prisoner,  priest  and  guards  entered  a  closed  carriage 
And  drove  to  the  place  of  execution.  No  time  was  wasted 
in  preliminaries,  as  everything  had  been  completed  be- 
forehand. McCall,  getting  out  of  the  carriage,  ascended 
the  steps  of  the  scaffold  in  company  with  the  priest,  and 
from  the  platform  surveyed  for  a  moment  the  upturned 
faces  of  the  multitude  before  him,  but  uttered  never  a 
word.  The  priest,  shrouded  in  robes  of  white,  knelt 
with  the  prisoner  on  the  scaffold  and  repeated  the  death 
litany  while  McCall  engaged  in  earnest  prayer,  kissing 
the  uplifted  crucifix  as  he  arose. 

At  twenty  minutes  past  ten  o'clock  the  black  cv^  was 
adjusted  over  the  head  of  the  condemned  man  and  as  the 
marshal  was  fixing  the  noose  about  his  neck,  McCall  re- 
quested him  to  "  draw  it  tight,  and  make  no  mistake. " 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL. 


205 


The  next  moment  the  trap  was  sprung  and  as  the  body 
shot  downward  McCall  was  heard  to  exclaim,  "My 
Uod  !"  which  were  his  last  words.  Throughout  all  this 
most  dreadful  experience  McCall  never  exhibited  the  least 
trepidation,  dying  with  that  stolid  indifference  which  he 
manifested  when  addressing  the  jury  that  tried  him  in  the 
Deadwood  court. 


Execution  of  Jack  McCall. 

On  the  evening  following  the  execution  of  McCall,  U. 
S.  Marshal  Burdick  received  the  following  letter : 

LOUISVILLE,  KY.,  February  25th,  1877. 
To  THE  MARSHAL  OF  YANKTON. 

DEAR  SIR  : — I  saw  in  the  morning  papers  a  piece  about 
the  sentence  of  the  murderer  of  Wild  Bill,  Jack  McCall. 
There  was  a  young  man  of  the  name  of  John  McCall  left 
here  about  six  years  ago,  who  has  not  been  heard  from 
for  tTi&  last  three  years.  He  has  a  father,  mother  and 
three  sisters  living  here  in  Louisville,  who  are  very  un- 
eacy  about  him  since  they  heard  about  the  murder  of 
Wild  Bill.  If  you  can  send  us  any  information  about 
him  we  would  be  very  thankful  to  you. 


806  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

This  John  McCall  is  about  twenty-five  years  old  ;  has 
light  hair,  inclined  to  curl,  and  one  eye  crossed.  I  can- 
not say  about  his  height  as  he  was  not  grown  when  he 
left  here.  Please  write  as  soon  as  convenient,  as  we  are 
very  anxious  to  hear  from  you. 

Very  respectfully, 

MAKY  A.  McCALL. 

This  letter  was  from  the  sister  of  the  man  who  had 
just  paid  the  penalty  of  his  crime,  and  with  what  feel- 
ings of  sadness  she  received  the  marshal's  reply  can  well 
be  imagined. 

One  version  of  the  origin  of  the  difficulty  which  cul- 
minated in  the  assassination  of  Wild  Bill  has  been  given 
so  repeatedly  by  correspondents  that,  as  it  requires  but  a 
few  words  to  relate,  it  is  here  repeated. 

Jack  McCall,  who  was  generally  regarded  as  a  gamb- 
ling sharp  by  the  people  of  Deadwood,  challenged  Bill 
to  a  game  of  poker.  As  the  latter  was  particularly  fond 
of  this  sport  an  immediate  acceptance  was  the  result. 
The  game  lasted  for  some  hours,  to  Bill's  great  advan- 
tage, until  McCall 's  money  having  become  exhausted  he 
overbet  his  hand.  Bill  in  calling  the  bet  discovered  that 
McCall  had  only  $7.50  to  make  good  his  bet  of  $10. 
He  mildly  remonstrated  with  him  by  saying :  *  *  You 
don't  want  to  overbet  your  money ;  that's  no  way  to 
play  poker."  McCall  then  admitted  that  he  had  not  an- 
other cent,  whereupon  Bill  gave  him  $5.00  with  which  to 
pay  his  lodging  a'lid  breakfast,  and  thus  the  two  separa- 
ted without  a  word  indicative  of  harsh  feelings.  This 
version  is  generally  accepted  as  furnishing  the  sole  rea- 
son for  the  murder. 

"  With  regard  to  the  killing  of  McCall' s  brother  by 
Wild  Bill  in  Hays  City,  as  was  claimed  by  McCall,  the 
story  is  evidently  without  foundation.  All  the  serious 
difficulties  Bill  had  while- at  Hays  City,  or  elsewhere, 


LIFE    OF    WILD    BILL  207 

have  been  faithfully  recorded  in  the  preceding  pages,  and 
unless  Jack  Strawhari  was  McCall's  brother  there  cannot 
be  even  the  remotest  suspicion  that  the  assassination  was 
prompted  by  the  motives  claimed.  In  addition  to  this, 
McCall  never  made  any  attempt  to  prove  that  his  brother 
had  been  killed  by  Wild  Bill,  nor  does  the  letter  of 
Mary  A.  McCall,  the  sister,  intimate  any  reason  for  her 
brother's  deed,  as  she  certainly  would  have  done  had  her 
brother  f alien  a  victim  to  Wild  Bill's  vengeance. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

DEAD  WOOD  improved  so  rapidly  during  the  latter  years 
of  the  seventies  that  it  became  necessary  to  remove  the 
bodies  which  lay  in  the  first  grave-yard.  Building  after 
building  had  sprung  up  on  the  hill  sides  ;  the  primitive 
forest  fell  before  the  axe  of  progress,  and  all  natural 
beauties  which  originally  surrounded  Wild  Bill's  grave 
were  torn  away  to  give  place  for  improvements. 

On  the  third  day  of  August,  1879,  Charley  Utter  and 
Louis  Shoenfield,  old  friends  of  Bill's,  keeping  ever 
green  the  memory  of  their  departed  comrade,  having 
decided  to  give  their  precious  dead  a  more  fitting  resting 
place,  repaired  to  the  grave  and  with  heads  uncovered, 
exhumed  the  remains  of  Wild  Bill.  Upon  removing  the 
coffin  lid,  assembled  friends  of  the  deceased  were  sur- 
prised to  note  the  few  changes  that  had  taken  place  in 
the  features.  Save  a  very  slightly  discernible  shrinkage 
of  the  jaws  and  eyes  and  a  darker  color  of  the  skin, 
Wild  Bill  lay  resting,  after  his  three  years'  sleep,  just  as 
he  was  laid  away.  The  same  smile  lingered  on  his  lips, 
lighting  up  a  countenance  of  such  perfect  repose  that  the 


208  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

sleeper  seemed  moved  by  some  pleasant  dream.  His 
rifle  still  lay  beside  him  in  thorough  preservation,  not 
even  a  speck  of  rust  being  perceptible  on  the  polished 
barrel. 

Upon  lifting  the  remains  from  the  grave,  an  extra- 
ordinary weight  was  detected,  which  was  unexplainable 
until,  in  clipping  off  a  lock  of  hair,  Charley  Utter 's  hand 
came  in  contact  with  the  face  of  his  dead  friend,  when 
a  singular  hardness  of  the  flesh  was  felt.  A  closer  ex- 
amination then  revealed  the  fact  that,  though  the  body 
retained  a  natural  appearance,  yet  it  was  in  process  of 
petrifaction.  At  the  time  of  death  Wild  Bill's  weight 
was  about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds,  but  at 
the  exhumation  the  body  weighed  nearly  three  hundred 
pounds. 

After  the  remains  were  exposed  for  several  hours  to 
the  gaze  of  numerous  friends,  they  were  conveyed  to 
Mount  Moriah  Cemetery,  where  a  lot  and  grave  had 
been  prepared  by  Charley  Utter,  and  there  given  a 
second  burial.  A  handsome  Italian  head-stone  was  also 
erected  at  the  head  of  the  grave  by  Mr.  Utter,  upon 
which  the  following  inscription  was  engraved  : 

WILD  BILL  (J.  B.  Hickok), 

Killed  by  the  Assassin,  Jack  McCall,  in  Dead  wood, 
August  2d,  1876.  Pard,  we  will  meet  again  in  the 
Happy  Hunting  Grounds,  to  part  no  more.  Good-bye. 

COLORADO  CHARLEY. 

Here  let  the  brave  heart  rest  in  the  solitude  of  a  fron- 
tier sepulcher ;  rest  from  the  strife  with  which  his  life 
was  so  familiar ;  rest  from  the  labors  of  a  sturdy  pio- 
neer. The  highway  which  he  blazed  by  indomitable 
bravery  and  consecrated  with  the  most  sacred  sacrifice  he 
could  give,  is  still  followed  by  the  advancing  hosts  of  an 
expanding  empire,  dispelling  primeval  sounds  and  touch- 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BILL. 


209 


Ing  the  virgin  forests  with  the  magic  wand  of  a  perfect 
civilization.  The  birds  which  carol  their  morning  and 
evening  concerts  over  his  grave  are  drifting  westward  and 
will  soon  be  seen  no  more,  while  in  their  stead  will  be 
heard  the  whir  and  hum  of  a  busy  life.  The  rough 
sounds  and  strife  of  a  border  settlement  will  give  place 
to  the  sweet  home  melodies  of  cultured  maidens,  and 
eoming  generation,  like  repeating  wave*  which  wash  out 
the  footsteps  from  the  beach,  will  destroy  the  landmarks 


Wild  Bill's  Grave. 

of  the  early  settlers  and  point  to  Wild  Bill's  grave  as  the 
spot  where  sleeps  a  hero-pioneer ;  whose  heart  in  life 
was  gentle  as  a  child's  prayer,  and  yet  brave  as  God 
could  make  it.  An  appreciation  of  the  services  which 
this  noble  scout  rendered  the  builders  of  a  Western  em- 
pire belongs  to  those  of  unborn  generations.  "  No  man 
is  appreciated  until  he  is  dead." 

The  following  poem,   another  tribute   of 


210  HEROES    OP    THE   PLAINS. 

from  Captain  Jack  Crawford,  who  delights  in  embower- 
ing the  memory  of  his  dead  comrade  with  the  most  fra- 
grant of  poetic  garlands,  will  appropriately  conclude  this 
history  of  Wild  Bill's  death  and  burial : 

WILD  BILL'S  GRAVE. 

[Written  for  the  Virginia  Evening  Chronicle,  August  4,  1877.] 
BY    HIS    PARD,    CAPTAIN     JACK. 

On  the  side  of  the  hill  between  Whitewood  and  Deadwood, 
At  the  foot  of  a  pine  stump,  there  lies  a  lone  grave, 
Environed  with  rocks,  and  with  pine  trees  and  redwood, 
Where  the  wild  roses  bloom  over  the  breast  of  the  brave. 
A  mantle  of  brushwood  the  greensward  encloses ; 
The  green  boughs  are  waving  far  up  overhead ; 
While  under  the  sod  and  the  flow'rets  reposes 
The  brave  and  the  dead. 

Did  I  know  him  in  life?    Yes,  as  brother  knows  brother 
I  knew  him  and  loved  him — 'twas  all  I  could  give, 
My  love.    But  the  fact  is  we  loved  one  another, 
And  either  would  die  that  the  other  might  live. 
Rough  in  his  ways  ?    Yes,  but  kind  and  good-hearted ; 
There  wasn't  a  flaw  in  the  heart  of  Wild  Bill, 
And  well  I  remember  the  day  that  he  started 
That  graveyard  on  top  of  the  hill. 

A  good  scout?    I  reckon  there  wasn't  his  equal, 
Both  Fremont  and  Ouster  could  vouch  for  that  fact. 
Quick  as  chain-lightning  with  rifle  or  pistol — 
And  Custer  said,  "  Bill  never  backed  !  " 
He  called  me  his  "  kid  "—Buffalo  Bill  was  his  "  boy  »»— 
And  in  fact  he  knew  more  than  us  both : 
And,  though  we  have  shared  both  in  sorrow  and  joy, 
Nary  an  oath.       •» 

And  now  let  me  show  you  the  good  that  was  in  him — 
The  letters  he  wrote  to  his  Agnes — his  wife. 
Why,  a  look  or  a  smile,  one  kind  word  could  win  him. 
Hear  part  of  this  letter— the  last  of  this  life : 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  211 

"AGNES  DARLING:  If  »uch  should  be  that  we  never  meet 
again,  while  firing  my  last  shot  I  will  gently  breathe  the  name 
of  my  wife — my  Agnes — and  with  a  kind  wish  even  for  my 
enemies,  I  will  make  the  plunge  and  try  to  swim  to  the  other 
shore." 

Oh,  Charity  !  come  fling  your  mantle  about  him , 
Judge  him  not  harshly — he  sleeps  'neath  the  sod  ; 
Custer,  brave  Ouster !  was  lonely  without  him, 
Even  with  God. 

Charge,  comrades,  charge !  see  young  Custer  ahead 

His  charger  leaps  forth,  almost  flying. 

One  volley !  and  half  his  comrades  are  dead — 

The  other  half  fighting  and  dying ! 

Let  us  hope  while  their  dust  is  reposing  beneath 

The  dirge-singing  pines  in  the  mountains, 

That  Christ  has  crowned  each  with  an  evergreen  wreath 

And  giv'n  them  to  drink  from  his  fountains. 

In  the  foregoing  chapters  the  writer  has  described,  as 
he  believes,  every  important  adventure  in  Wild  Bill's 
life ;  the  commonplace  incidents,  however,  have  been 
omitted ,  such  as  inconsequential  personal  difficulties ; 
long  and  tedious  journeys  ;  his  career  as  a  pony-express 
rider  ;  overland  trips  to  Salt  Lake,  and  such  other  events 
as  happen  to  nearly  all  men  engaged  in  frontier  service. 
His  life  was  so  full  of  daring  acts  that  to  record  the  or- 
dinary incidents  with  the  extraordinary  adventures  in 
which  he  participated  would  destroy  the  interest  and  im- 
pression the  writer  has  sought  to  produce  in  this  humble 
effort. 

But  before  concluding  this  biography  of  the  greatest 
scout  and  fighter,  perhaps,  of  whose  life  history  furnishes 
any  authentic  record,  it  is  important  to  briefly  describe 
Wild  Bill  in  his  social  relations,  removed  from  the  influ- 
ences which  called  for  an  exercise  of  his  recklessly  brave 
spirit. 

Socially,  among  those  of  cultivated  taste  and  refine- 


212  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

ment,  Wild  Bill  was  very  agreeable  company,  laying 
aside  at  once  every  uncouth  habit  and  showing  the  in- 
nate gentlemanly  qualities  of  which  he  was  possessed. 
He  had  but  few  intimate  friends,  the  most  prominent  of 
whom  were  W.  F.  Cody  (Buffalo  Bill),  and  Capt.  Jack 
Crawford,  whose  lives  ran  in  the  same  channels  as  his 
own ;  and  Dr.  Joshua  Thorne  a*nd  Capt.  E.  W.  Kings- 
bury,  both  of  Kansas  City,  among  the  limited  number  of 
his  associates  in  the  more  peaceful  walks  of  life. 

Dr.  Thome  was  Bill's  physician  for  many  years  and  to 
him  he  confided  his  most  sacred  secrets  ;  Kingsbury  was 
a  Captain  in  the  Second  U.  S.  Cavalry  during  the  time 
that  Bill  was  acting  as  guide  for  the  regiment  through  the 
Indian  campaigns,  and  it  was  in  this  service  that  they  be- 
came very  intimate.  Wild  Bill  acted  the  part  of  an 
elder  brother  to  Buffalo  Bill  and  the  two  were  so  warmly 
attached  that  an  insult  would  have  been  resented  much 
more  promptly  by  one  when  directed  against  the  other 
than  if  pressed  upon  himself.  Their  relations  were  those 
of  devoted  comradeship  and  each  was  gladdened  by 
praise  bestowed  upon  the  other.  At  times  harsh  words 
might  pass  between  them,  but  each  would  submit  to  any 
language  offered  by  the  other  without  thinking  of  retali- 
ation, while  the  slightest  rebuke  from  anyone  else  would 
be  sure  to  precipitate  a  row. 

Wild  Bill  had  no  well  defined  religious  belief,  though 
his  convictions,  judging  from  assertions  he  had  been 
heard  to  make  to  his  best  friends,  were  those  of  a  Spir- 
itualist. To  Dr.  Thome  he  asserted  that,  when  sur- 
rounded by  imminent  dangers,  he  was  influenced  by 
spiritual  agencies  who  kept  him  cool  while  they  discon- 
certed his  enemies.  It  was  to  this  influence  he  ascribed 
his  presence  of  mind  on  the  most  trying  occasions. 

Another  very  singular  characteristic  Bill  possessed  was 


LIFE    OF   WILD    BELL.  213 

that  of  excessive  grief  following  all  his  fatal  encounters. 
While  never  directly  evading  a  fight,  he  always  gave 
way  to  great  sorrow  for  its  consequences.  Nearly  all 
his  victims  were  given  proper  burial  at  his  expense,  and 
Bill  was  the  chief  mourner  at  all  the  funerals  when  he 
had  furnished  the  corpse.  After  his  great  fight  at  Rock 
Creek  he  learned  that  Jim  McCandlas  had  left  a  widow 
with  several  children  in  destitute  circumstances.  From 
that  time  until  Mrs.  McCandlas'  death  he  contributed  to 
her  support,  sending  remittances  of  money  whenever  he 
was  in  condition  to  do  so. 

Dr.  Thome  informed  the  writer  that  he  had  removed 
eleven  bullets  from  the  body  of  Wild  Bill,  nearly  all  of 
which  were  shot  into  him  at  the  Eock  Creek  fight,  but 
that  during  all  of  the  painful  operations  Bill  gave  ex- 
pression to  none  other  than  sympathetic  words  for  the 
ferocious  enemies  he  had  slain  in  that  memorable  en- 
counter. 

Though  living  the  life  of  a  bachelor  within  a  few 
months  of  his  death,  Bill  was  nevertheless  excessively  fond 
of  children,  and  so  great  was  his  influence  among  the 
smallest  infants  that  he  could  pacify  the  most  peevish 
ones  better  than  a  mother. 

America  has  given  birth  to  many  a  skillful  marksman, 
but  there  can  be  no  question  that  Wild  Bill  was  the  most 
expert  pistol  shot  that  this  or  any  other  country  ever 
produced.  To  him  this  accomplishment  was  a  gift  of 
nature,  which  he  greatly  improved  by  years  of  persistent 
practice.  Nearly  all  the  leading  magazines  and  news- 
papers have  published  elaborate  articles  descriptive  of  his 
marvelous  accuracy  and  skill  in  the  use  of  a  pistol,  but 
it  is  not  inappropriate  in  this  connection  to  recall  some  of 
the  excellencies  of  his  pistol  practice. 

On  one  occasion,  during  his  residence  in  Kansas  City, 


214  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

he  gave  Dr.  Thorne  examples  of  his  wonderful  shooting. 
It  was  on  a  sultry  Sabbath  afternoon,  when  the  two  were 
sitting  out  in  the  side  yard  connected  with  the  Doctor's 
residence  engaged  in  desultory  conversation.  A  flock  of 
chickens  were  strolling  about  the  place,  among  the  num- 
ber being  a  large  rooster  whose  propensity  was  for  chas- 
ing every  other  gallinaceous  male  off  the  place.  Dr. 
Thorne  having  informed  Bill  of  the  troublesome  qualities 
of  the  fowl,  expressed  a  wish  that,  as  it  was  too  old  to 
eat,  some  one  would  kill  it  out  of  compassion  for  the 
other  male  chanticleers.  Thereupon  Wild  Bill  remarked  : 

"  I'll  bet  you  five  dollars,  Doctor,  that  I  can  cut  the 
rooster's  throat  with  my  derringer,  at  thirty  paces,  with- 
out breaking  his  neck  or  touching  the  head  or  body." 

11  You  can't  do  it,"  responded  the  Doctor,  "and  I'll 
take  the  bet."  The  chicken  was  chased  to  the  required 
distance,  and  w^hile  it  was  still  walking  Bill  raised  his 
pistol  and  fired,  without  even  bringing  the  weapon  to  his 
eye.  The  rooster  ran  a  short  distance  and  then  drop- 
ped and  fluttered  about  until  it  died.  Upon  examina- 
tion it  was  found  that  the  chicken's  throat  and  windpipe 
had  been  cut  with  the  same  cleverness  as  if  a  knife  had 
been  used,  while  its  neck  was  evidently  not  touched. 

This  shot,  surely  as  perfect  as  could  be  made,  so  as- 
tonished the  Doctor  that  he  claimed  it  was  an  accident. 
Bill  then ,  to  convince  him  that  it  was  not,  fired  several 
times  from  the  two  cartridge  derringers  he  carried,  first 
at  small  objects  and  then  at  sparrows  in  the  trees  ;  each 
shot  went  directly  to  the  mark,  not  a  single  miss  being 
made.  The  Doctor  was  satisfied. 

Among  the  great  number  of  fancy  shots  Bill  was  accus 
tomed  to  make  in  amusing  his  friends,  was  one  driving 
the  cork  through  the  neck  of  a  bottle  and  knocking  the 
bottom  out  without  breaking  the  neck.     This  shot  was 
also  performed  at  a  distance  of  thirty  paces. 


LIFE   OF  WILD   BILL.  215 

For  a  lucrative  pastime,  at  which  he  won  no  inconsid- 
erable amount  of  money,  Bill  would  get  up  a  shooting 
match  and  then  take  bets  of  from  one  to  ten  dollars  that 
he  could  shoot  a  hole  through  a  silver  dime  at  a  distance 
of  fifty  paces.  This  seemed  so  utterly  impossible  that 
there  was  but  little  difficulty  in  getting  a  number  of  such 
bets,  until  he  demonstrated  his  ability  to  perform  the  act 
nine  times  out  of  ten.  Of  course,  at  such  a  distance,  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  see  so  small  an  object  as  a  silver 
dime,  but  this  difficulty  was  readily  overcome  by  placing 
the  money  in  such  a  position  that  the  sun's  rays  would 
be  gathered  on  its  surface,  thus  presenting  a  brilliant 
spot  for  a  target. 

In  rifle  shooting  Bill  was  also  an  adept,  but  at  short 
spaces  he  was  much  more  dextrous  with  the  pistol.  In 
using  the  former  weapon  he  took  deliberate  aim,  while 
with  the  latter  he  fired  at  seeming  random,  the  bullet, 
apparently,  going  straight  to  the  mark  of  its  own  voli- 
tion. 

In  the  early  part  of  1864,  during  his  service  as  a  scout 
under  Gen.  Daviess,  as  has  already  been  related  in  chap- 
ter V,  Wild  Bill  came  into  possession  of  a  beautiful 
young  mare  to  which  he  gave  the  name  «  Black  Nell." 
This  animal  was  a  filly  with  a  pedigree  which  it  is  to  be 
regretted  Bill  never  learned,  as  she  was  captured  in  a  fight 
with  three  bushwhackers,  but  her  exquisite  beauty  fur- 
nished a  true  index  of  her  lofty  descent.  She  was  black 
as  a  raven  and  full  of  spirit ;  her  neck  arched  with  the 
grace  of  a  rainbow  ;  her  eye  was  soft  and  clear  as  a  vir- 
gin's, and  her  limbs  were  as  symmetrical  as  those  of  the 
trinity  of  graces.  During  all  his  leisure,  Bill  gave  atten- 
tion to  the  care  and  training  of  this  animal  until  at 
length  she  became  the  wonder  of  all  who  witnessed  the 
performances  through  which  he  so  frequently  put  her. 
13 


116  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

He  first  trained  the  mare  to  obey  his  commands  given  by 
whistles  ;  to  everyone  except  Bill  she  appeared  fierce  and 
unmanageable,  but  to  him  she  was  the  very  soul  of  sa- 
gacity and  docility.  Whether  grazing,  feeding  at  the 
trough,  or  lying  down,  Bill  had  only  to  blow  a  single 
whistle  and  she  would  come  running  to  him  with  the 
eagerness  of  a  dog  anxious  to  greet  his  master.  A  snap 
of  his  fingers  would  send  her  galloping  away,  but  the 
whistle  would  always  cause  her  immediate  return. 

Another  trick  Bill  taught  his  beautiful  mare  afterward 
proved  the  means  of  saving  his  life.  Riding  her  at  the 
swiftest  speed  he  had  only  to  drop  his  hand  so  that  the 
mare  could  see  the  act,  and  instantly  she  would  stop  and 
prostrate  herself  on  the  ground,  remaining  in  that  posi- 
tion until  she  was  bidden  to  rise  again.  On  the  occa- 
sion referred  to,  where  this  trick  saved  his  life,  Bill  was 
riding  through  the  northern  part  of  Greene  county,  Mo., 
on  a  scouting  tour.  While  passing  through  the  tall  prai- 
rie grass  he  was  pursued  by  a  body  of  bushwhackers. 
After  fleeing  before  them  for  several  miles  he  crossed  a 
low  piece  of  ground  which  temporarily  hid  him  from  the 
sight  of  his  enemies.  In  this  place  Bill  made  a  turn  and 
moving  his  hand  before  Black  Nell  she  instantly  dropped 
down  and  remained  perfectly  quiet  while  the  pursuing 
party  rode  by  within  fifty  yards  without  discovering  him. 

During  a  visit  of  Wild  Bill  to  Springfield,  Mo.,  in 
1867,  meeting, with  many  old  friends,  he  became  decid- 
edly convivial  under  the  influences  usually  indulged  in 
that  town.  He  had  his  famous  mare  with  him,  and  after 
explaining  her  good  qualities  and  sense,  offered  to  wager 
treats  for  the  crowd  that  he  could  make  Black  Nell  leap 
on  to  a  billiard  table  and  from  that  perch  drink  a  quart  of 
whisky.  Some  one  accepted  the  bet,  chiefly  because  they 
desired  to  see  the  act  performed.  Bill  at  once  removed 


LIFE   OF   WILD   BILL.  217 

the  bridle  and  saddle  from  Nell,  and  going  into  a  saloon 
which  contained  an  old  billiard  table,  told  the  mare  to 
follow  him.  Nell,  obedient  as  a  poodle,  walked  so  closely 
behind  her  master  that  her  nose  rested  on  his  shoulder. 
Approaching  the  billiard  table,  he  bade  the  mare  mount. 
Nell  at  once  reared  up  and  deposited  her  forelegs  on  the 
table,  but  it  was  only  after  a  long  and  persistent  effort 
that  she  could  raise  her  hind  feet  so  high ;  in  fact  the 
strain  came  near  disabling  her  for  life ;  but  she  accom- 
plished the  feat,  and  then  drank  the  whisky  with  as  much 
relish  as  her  master  ever  exhibited. 

This  wonderful  mare,  famous  among  the  most  cele- 
brated horses  of  America,  died  near  Kansas  City  in 
1869.  Wild  Bill  manifested  the  most  poignant  grief  at 
the  loss  of  his  sagacious  friend,  and  buried  her  with  ap- 
propriate funeral  ceremonies,  and  afterward  made  many 
pilgrimages  to  her  grave. 


Having  now  discharged  my  duties  as  biographer  of 
Wild  Bill,  and  given  to  him  the  character  of  a  brave, 
honest  and  true  man,  worthy  a  position  in  the  annals  of 
American  frontier  history,  lest  the  reader  should  ascribe 
to  me  undue  admiration  for  the  man  whom  I  have 
sought  to  justly  heroize,  I  will  close  this  history  with  two 
published  opinions  from  men  capable  of  judging  his  true 
character.  The  first,  as  here  given,  is  from  a  writer  in 
Scribner's  Magazine  for  October,  1876  : 

"  *  *  *  I  had  been  in  town  only  a  few  moments 
when  I  met  Charley  Utter,  better  known  in  the  West  as 
«  Colorado  Charley,*  to  whom  I  had  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion, and  who  at  once  invited  me  to  share  his  camp  while 
I  remained  in  the  region. 


218  HEEOES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

"  On  our  way  to  his  tent,  we  met  J.  B.  Hickok,  'Wild 
Bill,'  the  hero  of  a  hundred  battles.  Bill  was  Utter' s 
« pardner,'  and  I  was  introduced  at  once.  Of  course  I 
had  heard  of  him,  the  greatest  scout  in  the  West,  but  I 
was  not  prepared  to  find  such  a  man  as  he  proved  to  be. 

M  Most  of  the  Western  scouts  do  not  amount  to  much. 
They  do  a  great  deal  in  the  personal  reminiscence  way, 
but  otherwise  they  are  generally  of  the  class  described  as 
'  frauds.'  In  Wild  Bill  I  found  a  man  who  talked 
little  and  had  done  a  great  deal.  He  was  about  six  feet 
two  inches  in  height,  and  very  powerfully  built ;  his  face 
was  intelligent ;  his  hair  blonde,  and  falling  in  long  ring- 
lets upon  his  broad  shoulders  ;  his  eyes,  blue  and  pleas- 
ant, looked  one  straight  in  the  face  when  he  talked  ;  and 
his  lips,  thin  and  compressed,  were  only  partly  hidden 
by  a  straw-colored  moustache.  His  costume  was  a  cu- 
riously blended  union  of  the  habiliments  of  the  border- 
man  and  the  drapery  of  the  fashionable  dandy.  Beneath 
the  skirts  of  his  elaborately  embroidered  buckskin  coat 
gleamed  the  handles  of  two  silver-mounted  revolvers, 
which  where  his  constant  companions.  His  voice  was  low 
and  musical,  but  through  its  hesitation  I  could  catch  a 
ring  of  self-reliance  and  consciousness  of  strength.  Yet 
he  was  the  most  courteous  man  I  had  met  on  the  plains. 
On  the  following  day  I  asked  to  see  him  use  a  pistol,  and 
he  assented.  At  his  request  I  tossed  a  tomato  can  about 
fifteen  feet  into  the  air,  both  his  pistols  being  in  his  belt 
when  it  left  my  hand.  He  drew  one  of  them  and  fired 
two  bullets  through  the  tin  can  before  it  struck  the 
ground.  Then  he  followed  it  along,  firing  as  he  went, 
until  both  weapons  were  empty.  You  have  heard  the 
expression «  quick  as  lightning.'  Well,  that  will  describe 
Wild  Bill.  He  was  noted  all  over  the  country  for  rapid- 
ity of  motion,  courage  and  certainty  of  aim.  Wherever 


LIFE  or  WILD  BILL.  219 

he  went  he  controlled  the  people  around  him,  and  many 
a  quarrel  has  been  settled  by  his  simple  announcement, 
*  This  has  gone  far  enough.*  Early  in  the  forenoon  of 
my  third  day  in  Dead  wood  word  was  brought  over  to 
camp  that  he  had  been  killed/' 

The  following  is  extracted  from  Gen.  G.  A.  Ouster's 
"Life  on  the  Plains."  Wild  Bill  was  for  a  longtime 
engaged  as  scout  for  Gem  Custer,  accompanying  him  in 
several  important  campaigns  against  the  Indians,  and 
was  repeatedly  specially  mentioned  in  the  army  reports 
for  gallantry : 

"Among  the  white  scouts  were  numbered  some  of  the 
most  noted  of  their  class.  The  most  prominent  man 
among  them  was  Wild  Bill,  whose  highly  varied  career 
was  made  the  subject  of  an  illustrated  sketch  in  one  of 
the  popular  monthly  periodicals  a  few  years  ago.  Wild 
Bill  was  a  strange  character,  just  the  one  which  a  novelist 
might  gloat  over.  He  was  a  plainsman  in  every  sense  of 
the  word,  yet  unlike  any  other  of  his  class.  In  person 
he  was  about  six  feet  one  in  height,  straight  as  the 
straightest  of  the  warriors  whose  implacable  foe  he  was  ; 
broad  shoulders,  well-formed  chest  and  limbs,  and  a  face 
strikingly  handsome  ;  a  sharp,  clear,  blue  eye,  which 
stared  you  straight  in  the  face  when  in  conversation  ;  a 
finely-shaped  nose,  inclined  to  be  aquiline  ;  a  well-turned 
mouth,  with  lips  only  partially  concealed  by  a  handsome 
moustache.  His  hair  and  complexion  were  those  of  a 
perfect  blonde.  The  former  was  worn  in  uncut  ringlets 
falling  carelessly  over  his  powerfully  formed  shoulders. 
Add  to  this  figure  a  costume  blending  the  immaculate 
neatness  of  the  dandy  with  the  extravagant  taste  and 
style  of  the  frontiersman,  and  you  have  Wild  Bill,  then 
as  now  the  most  famous  scout  on  the  plains. 

"  Whether  on  foot  or  on  horseback,  he  was  one  of  the 


HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

moat  perfect  types  of  physical  manhood  I  ever  saw.  Of 
his  courage  there  could  be  no  question ;  it  had  been 
brought  to  the  test  on  too  many  occasions  to  admit  of  a 
doubt.  His  skill  in  the  use  of  the  rifle  and  pistol  was 
unerring ;  while  his  deportment  was  exactly  the  opposite 
of  what  might  be  expected  from  a  man  of  his  surround- 
ings. It  was  entirely  free  from  all  bluster  or  bravado. 
He  never  spoke  of  himself  unless  requested  to  do  so. 
His  conversation,  strange  to  say,  never  bordered  either 
on  the  vulgar  or  blasphemous.  His  influence  among  the 
frontiersmen  was  unbounded,  his  word  was  law ;  and 
many  are  the  personal  quarrels  and  disturbances  which  he 
has  checked  among  his  comrades  by  his  simple  announce- 
ment that  'this  has  gone  far  enough,'  if  need  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  ominous  warning  that  when  persisted  in  ou 
renewed  the  quarreler  '  must  settle  it  with  me.'  Wild 
Bill  is  anything  but  a  quarrelsome  man  ;  yet  no  one  but 
himself  can  enumerate  the  many  conflicts  in  which  he 
has  been  engaged,  and  which  have  almost  invariably  re- 
sulted in  the  death  of  his  adversary.  I  have  a  persona] 
knowledge  of  at  least  half  a  dozen  men  whom  he  has  at 
various  times  killed,  one  of  these  being  at  the  time  a 
member  of  my  command.  Others  have  been  severely 
wounded,  yet  he  always  escaped  unhurt.  On  the  plains 
every  man  openly  carries  his  belt  with  its  invariable  ap- 
pendages, knife  and  revolver,  often  two  of  the  latter. 
Wild  Bill  always  carried  two  handsome  ivory-handled  re- 
volvers of  the  large  size ;  he  was  never  seen  without 
them.  Where  this  is  the  common  custom,  brawls  or  per- 
sonal difficulties  are  seldom  if  ever  settled  by  blows. 
The  quarrel  is  not  from  a  word  to  a  blow,  but  from  a  word 
to  the  revolver,  and  he  who  can  draw  and  fire  first  is  the 
beet  man.  No  civil  law  reaches  him  ;  none  is  applied  for. 
In  fact  there  is  no  law  recognized  beyond  the  frontier 


LIFE   OF   WILD    BILL. 

but  that  of  *  might  makes  right.'  Should  death  result 
from  the  quarrel,  as  it  usually  does,  no  coroner's  jury  is 
impanneled  to  learn  the  cause  of  death,  and  the  survivor 
is  not  arrested.  But  instead  of  these  old-fashioned  pro- 
ceedings, a  meeting  of  citizens  takes  place,  the  survivor 
is  requested  to  be  present  when  the  circumstances  of  the 
homicide  are  inquired  into,  and  the  unfailing  verdict  of 
•justifiable,'  'self-defence,'  etc.,  is  pronounced,  and  the 
law  stands  vindicated.  That  justice  is  often  deprived  of 
a  victim  there  is  not  a  doubt.  Yet  in  all  of  the  many  af- 
fairs of  this  kind  in  which  Wild  Bill  has  performed  a 
part,  and  which  have  come  to  my  knowledge,  there  is  not 
a  single  instance  in  which  the  verdict  of  twelve  fair- 
minded  men  would  not  be  pronounced  in  his  favor. 

"  That  the  even  tenor  of  his  way  continues  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  little  events  of  this  description  maybe  inferred 
from  an  item  which  has  been  floating  lately  through  the 
columns  of  the  press,  and  which  states  that  '  the  funeral 
of  "  Jim  Bludso,"  who  was  killed  the  other  day  by  Wild 
Bill,  took  place  to-day.'  *  It  then  adds :  '  The  funeral 
expenses  were  borne  by  Wild  Bill ! '  What  could  be 
more  thoughtful  than  this?  Not  only  to  send  a  fellow 
mortal  out  of  the  world,  but  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the 
transit!" 


^ 

BOW.  TFM.  F.  CODY, 
(Buffalo  Bill) 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO  BILL. 

(HON.  WILLIAM  F.  CODY.) 

RELATING  THE  ADVENTURES  AND  INCIDENTS  IN  THE  CA- 
EEEB  OF  THE  MOST  FAMOUS  OF  LlVING  PLAINSMEN. 

COMPRISING  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  HIS  DESPERATE  ENCOUN- 
TERS, NARROW  ESCAPES,  INDIAN  BATTLES,  WONDER- 
FUL RIDES,  GREAT  HUNTS,  AND  CONQUESTS  ON 
AND  OFF  THE  MIMIC  STAGE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  peculiarities  of  American  civilization  are  seen  to 
great  advantage  in  the  anomalous  character  of  HON. 
WILLIAM  FREDERICK  CODY,  known  throughout  the  Eng- 
lish speaking  world  as  Buffalo  Bill.  He  is  the  very 
embodiment  of  diversity,  and  a  representative  type  of 
the  antipodal  phases  of  society ;  on  the  Plains  and  in 
camp  he  becomes  the  essence  of  pioneer  hardihood, 
inured  to  privation,  and  the  exponent  of  song  and  story ; 
while  in  the  salons  of  the  aristocracy  he  is  none  the  less 
a  kid-gloved  society  gallant,  versed  in  all  the  subtle- 
ties of  polished  etiquette,  full  of  vivacity  and  courtly 
witticisms.  In  short,  there  is  no  nature  so  readily  con- 
formable to  all  the  ways  of  life  as  his,  and  under  all  cir- 
cumstances there  is  always  a  sparkling  effervescence  of 
spirit  about  him  which  can  only  find  comparison  in  a 
newly  opened  bottle  of  extra-dry  champagne.  These  un- 
exampled traits  of  character  will  be  distinctly  evidenced  in 

the  following  history  of  his  singular  life  and  adventures. 
325 


226  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

Buffalo  Bill  was  born  in  a  pioneer  settlement  of  Scott 
County,  Iowa,  on  the  26th  day  of  February,  1845.  His 
father,  whose  name  was  Isaac,  was  one  of  the  original 
surveyors  of  Davenport,  and  a  man  of  strong  individu- 
ality, possessing  considerable  ability  and  the  elements  of 
leadership.  Opportunities,  however,  being  few,  Mr.  Cody 
had  to  adapt  himself  to  the  pursuits  offered,  and  for  two 
or  three  years  he  drove  a  stage  coach  between  Chicago 
and  Davenport. 

In  1849  Mr.  Cody  was  influenced  by  the  wonderful 
stories  regarding  the  gold  discoveries  in  California  to 
make  provisions  for  the  great  overland  journey,  but  after 
starting,  others  who  were  to  accompany  him,  abandoned 
the  enterprise  and  persuaded  him  to  follow  their  exam- 
ple. During  his  residence  in  Iowa  he  held  the  position 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  also  served  one  term  in  the 
Legislature,  but  having  a  disposition  for  adventure  and 
delighting  in  pioneer  life,  he  removed  to  Kansas  in  1852, 
settling  his  family  at  Weston,  Missouri,  on  the  farm  of 
his  brother  Elijah,  and  then  established  a  trading  post  in 
the  northern  part  of  Leavenworth  County,  Kansas,  at 
Salt  Creek  Valley,  near  the  Kickapoo  Agency. 

At  this  time  Kansas  was  occupied  by  numerous  tribes 
of  Indians  who  were  settled  on  reservations,  and  through 
the  territory  ran  the  great  highway  to  California  and 
Salt  Lake  City.  In  addition  to  the  thousands  of  gold 
seekers  who  were  passing  through  Kansas  by  way  of  Ft. 
Leavenworth,  there  were  as  many  more  Mormons  in  their 
hegira  from  Illinois  to  found  a  new  temple  in  which  to 
propagate  their  doctrines.  This  extensive  travel  made 
the  business  of  trade  on  the  route  a  most  profitable  one. 
But  with  the  caravans  were  those  fractious  elements  of 
adventurous  pioneering,  and  here  little  Billy,  as  Buffalo 
Bill  was  then  called,  first  saw  the  typical  Westerner; 


LITE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  227 

with  white  sombrero,  buckskin  clothes,  long  hair, 
moccasined  feet  and  a  belt  full  of  murderous  bowies  and 
long  pistols.  But  instead  of  these  outre  peculiarities  im- 
pressing Billy  with  feelings  of  trepidation,  they  inspired 
him  with  an  ambition  to  become  a  daring  plainsman. 
The  rare  and  skillful  feats  of  horsemanship  which  he 
daily  witnessed  bred  in  him  a  desire  to  excel  the  most  ex- 
pert; and  when,  at  seven  years  of  age,  his  father  gave 
him  a  pony,  the  full  measure  of  his  happiness  had  ripen- 
ed, like  Jonah's  gourd,  in  a  night.  Thenceforth  his  oc- 
cupation was  horseback  riding,  in  which  pleasurable  em- 
ployment he  made  himself  very  useful  in  performing 
necessary  journeys  in  his  father's  interest. 

Living  so  near  the  Kickapoo  Indians,  Billy  soon  became 
well  acquainted  with  them,  and  as  they  were  very  friend- 
ly, he,  with  boyish  curiosity,  became  a  constant  com- 
panion of  some  young  bucks  of  the  tribe  ;  in  this  associ- 
ation he  participated  in  their  sports  and  learned  to  shoot 
with  bow  and  arrow,  throw  the  lance,  and  converse  in 
their  native  tongue — all  of  which  accomplishments  be- 
came very  useful  to  him  in  after  life. 

In  anticipation  of  the  early  passage  of  what  was  known 
as  the  "  Enabling  Act  of  Kansas  Territory,"  which  was 
then  pending  before  Congress,  Mr.  Cody,  in  the  fall  of 
1853,  took  his  family  from  the  farm  of  his  brother  and 
settled  them  at  the  post  in  Kansas,  where  he  at  once  set 
about  erecting  suitable  log  buildings.  In  the  succeeding 
winter  the  act  was  passed,  which  opened  up  the  territory 
for  settlement,  and  Mr.  Cody  immediately  pre-empted 
the  claim  on  which  he  was  living. 

Every  reader  of  American  history  is  familiar  with  the 
disorders  which  followed  close  upon  the  heels  of  the 
"  Enabling  Act."  Pending  its  passage  the  Western 
boundary  of  Missouri  was  ablaze  with  the  camp  fires  of 


228  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

intending  settlers.  Thousands  of  families  were  sheltered 
under  the  canvas  of  their  ox  wagons,  impatiently  await- 
ing the  signal  from  the  Nation  announcing  the  opening 
of  the  territorial  doors  to  the  brawny  immigrants,  and 
when  the  news  was  heralded  the  waiting  host  poured 
over  the  boundary  line  and  fairly  deluged  the  new  public 
domain. 

In  this  rapid  settlement  of  the  territory  a  most  per- 
plexing question  arose,  which  was  contested  with  such 
virulence  that  a  warfare  was  inaugurated  which  became  a 
stain  upon  the  nation's  escutcheon,  and  was  not  abated 
until  the  Missouri  and  Kansas  borders  became  drunk  with 
blood.  Nearly  all  those  who  came  from  Missouri  were 
intent  upon  extending  slavery  into  the  territory,  whilst 
those  who  emigrated  from  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Indiana 
and  sought  homes  in  the  new  domain  were  equally  de- 
termined that  the  cursed  hydra  head  of  slavery  should 
never  be  reared  in  their  midst.  Over  this  question  the 
border  warfare  began,  and  its  fierceness  can  only  find 
comparison  in  the  Inquisitorial  persecutions  of  the  fif- 
teenth century.  Men  were  shot  down  in  their  homes, 
around  their  firesides,  in  the  furrows  behind  the  plow, — 
everywhere.  Widows  and  orphans  multiplied,  the  arm 
of  industry  was  palsied,  while  the  incendiary  torch  lit  up 
the  prairie  heavens,  feeding  on  blighted  homes  and  trailing 
along  in  the  path  of  granaries  and  store-houses.  Mobs 
of  murder-loving  men,  drunk  with  fury,  and  with  hearts 
set  on  desolation,  day  and  night  descended  upon  un- 
guarded households,  and  tearing  away  husbands  and  broth- 
ers from  the  loving  arms  of  wives  and  sisters,  left  their 
bodies  dangling  from  the  shade  trees  of  their  unhappy 
homes,  or  shot  them  down  where  their  blood  might  sear 
the  eyes  of  helpless,  agonized  relatives.  Anguish  sat  on 
every  threshold,  pity  had  no  abiding-place,  and  for  four 


LIFE   OP    BUFFALO   BILL.  219 

y«ars  the  besom  of  destruction,  with  all  its  pestilential 
influences,  blighted  the  prairie  and  rendered  every  heart 
on  the  border  sad  and  despondent. 

In  this  war  of  vengeance  the  Cody  family  did  not 
escape  a  full  measure  of  affliction .  Near  Mr.  Cody's 
trading  post  was  another  store,  kept  by  a  Missourian 
named  Eively,  around  which  a  considerable  settlement 
had  been  made,  which  became  the  rendezvous  of  many 
different  elements,  and  particularly  of  pro-slavery  men, 
who  enjoyed  Rively's  sympathies.  In  the  summer  of 
1854,  and  within  a  few  months  after  the  "  Enabling  Act" 
was  passed,  a  very  large  meeting  was  held  at  the  popular 
rendezvous,  and  Mr.  Cody  being  present  was  pressed  to 
address  the  crowd  on  the  slavery  question,  he  being 
regarded  as  favorably  disposed  to  making  Kansas  a 
slave  territory,  owing  to  the  fact  that  his  brother, 
Elijah,  was  a  Missourian.  In  the  course  of  his  remarks  he 
frankly  admitted  that  his  views  were  opposed  to  those 
of  his  audience,  but  nevertheless  expressed  his  opinions 
in  a  most  conservative  manner,  in  order  that  no  offence 
might  be  given.  Notwithstanding  the  guarded  manner 
of  his  speech,  the  crowd  became  very  angry  and  man- 
ifested their  feelings  by  calling  him  a  "  black  Abolition- 
ist," and  ordering  him  to  "  get  down  off  the  box."  In 
trying  to  assuage  their  anger  he  only  aggravated  them 
the  more,  and  before  he  fully  comprehended  the  danger 
of  his  position  a  rough  desperado,  who  had  been  employed 
as  a  farm  hand  by  Elijah  Cody,  leaped  onto  the  box  with 
a  drawn  bowie  knife  and  stabbed  the  speaker  twice  in  the 
breast.  The  wounded  man  fell  off  the  box  and  was 
carried  to  Mr.  Rively's  house,  from  whence  he  was  con- 
veyed in  a  carriage  to  the  residence  of  his  brother, 
where  his  wounds  were  dressed,  which,  though  not 
directly  fatal,  were  indirectly  the  cause  of  his  death  a 
short  time  after. 


980 


HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 


The  unfortunate  speech  of  Mr.  Cody  at  Bively's  store 
proved  to  be  only  the  beginning  of  misfortunes  to  the 
family.  Being  the  first  man  whose  blood  was  shed  in 
opposition  to  the  extension  of  slavery  in  Kansas,  the 
border  Missourians  marked  him  as  an  object  for  their 
special  hatred. 


STABBING  OF  BUFFALO  BILL'S  FATHER. 

It  was  several  weeks  after  receiving  his  wound  before 
Mr.  Cody  was  able  to  leave  his  bed,  and  when  he  returned 
to  his  trading  post  he  received  notice  to  quit  the  territory 
immediately  or  abide  the  consequences  which  an  enraged 
mob  threatened.  Disregarding  these  warnings,  his  house 
was  surrounded  by  a  body  of  armed  mounted  men  on  a 
dark  night  shortly  after,  whose  purpose  it  was  to  sum- 
lmarily  hang  him,  and  after  consummating  this  foul  deed 


LIFE   OF    BUFFALO   BILL.  231 

burn  the  house  that  sheltered  his  large  family.  Fortu- 
nately the  plan  was  discovered,  and  to  effect  an  escape 
he  had  recourse  to  the  following  stratagem  :  The  night 
being  very  dark,  Mr.  Cody  quietly  arose  and  clothed 
himself  in  his  wife's  dress  and  bonnet,  in  which  very 
effective  disguise  he  easily  passed  between  the  horsemen 
and  gained  an  adjoining  cornfield,  where  he  concealed 
himself.  The  mob  dismounted,  and  after  inquiry  and  a 
critical  search  of  the  premises,  discovered  that  Mr.  Cody 
was  absent — a  fact  that  the  would-be  murderers  were  at  a 
loss  to  understand.  But  that  their  visit  might  not  be 
wholly  without  some  villainy,  the  mob  robbed  the  premises 
of  everything  they  could  find  possessing  any  value,  and 
then  drove  off  all  the  horses  in  the  pasture  and  stables. 

Mr.  Cody,  after  keeping  concealed  for  three  days,  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  Ft.  Leavenworth,  near  which  place 
soon  afterward  he  joined  a  party  of  Free  State  men 
under  Jim  Lane,  and  was  a  participant  in  the  fight  at 
Hickory  Point,  where  the  Free  State  men  gained  a  de- 
cided victory,  but  not  without  considerable  loss. 

After  serving  with  Lane  in  one  campaign,  Mr.  Cody 
returned  to  his  family  clandestinely,  and  acquainting 
them  with  his  purpose  went  to  Grasshopper  Falls,  where 
he  at  once  began  the  erection  of  a  saw-mill.  The  pro- 
slavery  men  were  still  determined  to  kill  him,  and  upon 
learning  of  his  settlement  at  the  Falls,  immediately  re- 
solved themselves  again  into  a  body  of  intentional  mur- 
derers. By  a  lucky  chance,  one  of  the  hired  men  on  Mr. 
Cody's  homestead  overheard  the  threats  of  the  mob  and 
lost  no  time  in  conveying  his  information  to  Mrs.  Cody. 
With  true  wifely  devotion,  she  considered  only  the  safety 
of  her  husband.  Billy,  her  oldest  boy,  now  nine  years 
of  age,  was  her  reliance,  and  to  him,  with  trembling 
heart,  she  quickly  said  : 

14 


2 §2  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 

"  Billy,  my  dear  boy,  hitch  up  Prince  (the  pony)  inv 
mediately,  and  ride  with  all  your  might  to  your  father ; 
the  mob  have  again  organized  to  murder  him,  and  you 
must  reach  him  before  they  do,  to  warn  him  of  his 
danger." 

There  were  great  big  tears  in  her  eyes  when  she  gave 
this  injunction ;  a  husband's  safety  was  in  the  balance 
on  one  side  and  the  life  of  her  little  boy  on  the  other ;  it 
was  the  hour  for  sacrifice,  and  brave  little  Billy,  filled 
with  resolution,  threw  fear  under  his  pony's  feet  and  a 
moment  after  was  dashing  away  toward  Grasshopper 
Falls.  Seven  miles  from  the  post  he  suddenly  ap- 
proached a  body  of  armed  men,  by  whom  he  was  immedi- 
ately recognized  and  commanded  to  halt.  The  boy,  so 
young  in  years,  comprehended  the  situation  and  instead 
of  obeying  the  order,  only  quickened  the  pace  of  his 
pony,  making  a  detour  on  the  prairie,  hotly  pursued  by 
the  mob  ;  but  he  was  riding  to  save  the  life  of  a  loving 
father,  and  could  not  afford  to  be  captured.  After  a 
chase  of  a  few  miles  the  mob  drew  rein  and  permitted 
the  boy  to  ride  so  far  ahead  of  them  that  when  they 
reached  Grasshopper  Falls  Mr.  Cody  and  his  brave  boy 
were  enroute  for  Lawrence  to  join  Jim  Lane  again.  A1< 
this  time  Lawrence  was  the  territorial  capital  and  thft 
famous  Lecompton  Legislature  was  being  organized,  of 
which  body  Mr.  Cody  was  chosen  a  member. 

After  the  first  session  of  the  Legislature  he  was  called 
to  Ohio  in  the  interest  of  the  Free  State  advocates, 
where  he  remained  during  a  period  of  several  months. 
After  the  departure  of  his  father,  Billy,  with  three  com- 
panions, returned  to  Grasshopper  Falls ;  but  while  en- 
route,  they  were  ambushed  by  a  party  of  renegades  and 
one  of  his  companions  killed,  while  Billy  himself  escaped 
only  through  good  luck  and  a  fleet  horse. 


LIFE   OF    BUFFALO    BILL.  238 

Upon  meeting  his  mother,  whom  he  had  not  seen 
since  leaving  home  to  warn  his  father  of  the  mob's  in- 
tentions, he  handed  her  a  letter  from  Mr.  Cody,  which 
fully  relieved  her  mind  from  the  dreadful  anxiety  she 
had  so  long  suffered  ;  overcome  with  joy,  she  fell  upon 
the  neck  of  her  brave  boy-  and  could  only  manifest  her 
thankfulness  with  bounteous  tears. 

During  Mr.  Cody's  absence  his  family  was  subjected 
almost  daily  to  some  outrage  ;  gangs  of  cut-throats  were 
almost  constantly  hovering  about  the  premises  trying  to 
surprise  Mr.  Cody  and  kill  him,  or  steal  his  stock  and 
provisions.  But  amid  all  this  threatening  condition  of 
affairs,  and  despite  the  persuasions  of  Elijah  Cody,  who 
offered  her  a  home  with  his  family  in  Missouri,  Mrs. 
Cody  was  determined  to  remain  at  the  home  place  and  en- 
dure  whatever  persecutions  the  pro-slavery  men  could  in- 
flict. She  was  a  woman  of  unusual  bravery,  well  suited 
for  a  pioneer's  wife,  and  yet  a  lady  well  educated  and 
used  to  the  refinements  of  the  most  cultured  society. 

After  Mr.  Cody's  return  from  Ohio  he  served  his  term 
in  the  Lecompton  Legislature  and  then  resumed  his  la- 
bors  at  Grasshopper  Falls.  But  the  wound  he  received 
at  the  meeting  near  Rively's  store  had  never  healed  and 
continued  to  give  him  so  much  trouble  that  he  was  forced 
to  his  bed  again.  While  lying  in  this  helpless  condition 
one  of  the  neighbors,  a  violent  pro-slavery  man  of  the 
lowest  and  most  despicable  proclivities,  stole  Billy's  fa- 
vorite little  pony,  Prince,  and  a  few  days  afterward  he 
again  visited  the  unfortunate  family  and  expressed  a  deter- 
mination to  kill  Mr.  Cody,  who  was  confined  to  his  bed 
in  the  upper  story  of  the  house.  The  murderous  wretch, 
however,  was  in  such  a  maudlin  condition,  from  the  deep 
potations  in  which  he  had  indulged  ,  that  after  ordering 
Mrs.  Cody  and  her  daughters  to  get  him  some  dinner,  he 


234  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

forgot  the  purpose  of  his  visit  and  rode  off  again.  It 
was  fortunate  for  him  that  he  made  no  attempt  on  the 
life  of  Mr.  Cody,  as  Billy  had  overheard  his  threats,  and 
with  heroic  resolve  had  taken  a  station  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs,  with  pistol  in  hand,  determined  to  shoot  the  in- 
truder the  moment  his  head  should  appear  above  the 
second-story  floor. 

In  the  spring  of  1856  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  old 
mob  to  blow  up  the  Cody  residence,  to  accomplish  which 
purpose  two  kegs  of  powder  were  secretly  deposited  in 
the  cellar,  with  a  long  fuse  attached,  but  the  villains 
were  foiled  by  the  bravery  of  Mrs.  Cody  and  her  heroic 
little  boy,  who  managed  to  bluff  the  crowd  that  came  to 
the  residence  to  light  the  fuse,  by  declaring  that  the  house 
was  full  of  armed  men  who  would  fire  on  the  intruders  if 
they  did  not  immediately  abandon  the  premises. 

It  was  this  life  of  constant  peril  that  Buffalo  Bill  led 
through  the  years  of  his  youth,  which  was  almost  liter- 
ally a  baptism  of  blood  and  persecution  ;  from  the  boc- 
cario  he  developed  into  the  cavallard  driver,  and  from 
this  latter  occupation  he  speedily  became  a  recognized 
leader  in  the  most  thrilling  adventures. 


CHAPTER  E. 


IN  the  summer  of  1855,  when  ten  years  of  age,  Billy 
became  a  herder — or  cow-boy — for  Mr.  Russell,  to  ac- 
cept which  position  he  ran  away  from  home,  returning 
again  at  the  expiration  of  two  months  with  the  sum  of 
fifty  dollars,  all  in  new  silver  coins,  which  he  gave  to  his 
mother,  who  needed  his  assistance  now,  since  Mr.  Cody 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  $85 

wag  still  suffering  from  his  wound  and  unable  to  con- 
tinue his  labors. 

The  settlement  about  the  Kickapoo  Agency  having  in- 
creased rapidly,  in  1856  a  log  school  house  was  built  and 
an  excellent  teacher  employed,  by  subscription,  to  give 
instruction  to  the  youth  of  that  immediate  section.  Al- 
though this  was  the  first  regular  school  in  the  district, 
Billy  had  been  under  the  instruction  of  a  Miss  Lyons, 
who  was  engaged  by  Mr.  Cody  to  come  to  his  house  and 
teach  the  children,  of  whom  there  were  seven,  five  girls 
and  two  boys,  so  that  he  was  considerably  advanced,  for 
a  pioneer  boy,  when  he  was  enrolled  as  a  pupil  of  one  of 
the  first  schools  started  in  the  territory. 

For  some  time  Billy  made  excellent  progress ;  was 
esteemed  a  model  scholar  and  in  every  respect  won  the 
favor  of  teacher  and  fellow  pupils.  But  his  troubles 
began  right  where  he  expected  to  find  happiness,  thus, 
for  once,  following  the  usual  plot  of  love  stories. 
Mary  Hyatt,  a  flaxen-haired,  pretty  little  miss,  with 
roguish  smile  and  cunning  eyes,  was  also  a  pupil  in  the 
log  school-house  and  sat  on  a  seat  so  near  Billy  that  she 
became  his  dear  charmer  and  condensed  all  his  ambitions 
in  the  one  desire  to  gain  a  reciprocal  feeling.  By  his 
own  admissions  he  became  almost  hopelessly  stricken, 
the  arrow  of  love  cleaving  the  right  ventricle  of  his  heart 
clean  through.  The  school-house  was  located  on  the 
bank  of  a  creek  where  the  woods  grew  luxuriantly,  and 
afforded  sylvan  retreats  for  young  lovers  to  build  bowers 
of  foliage  and  flowers.  Billy,  ever  regardful  for  the 
happiness  of  Mary,  with  dextrous  hands  built  arbors  to 
shelter  his  young  love,  just  large  enough  to  hold  two, 
the  reserve  spa@e  being,  of  course,  intended  for  himself. 
But  Billy  was  not  without  competition,  his  rival  being  a 
larger  and  older  boy  named  Stephen  Gobel.  The  latter, 


236  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

instead  of  resorting  to  honorable  means  for  winning 
Mary,  by  trying  to  build  a  more  delightful  retreat  for  his 
sweetheart,  ruthlessly  tore  down  the  arbors  constructed 
by  Billy  and  defied  the  school-mate  he  had  wronged.  A 
fight  was  the  consequence,  in  which  adverse  fortune 
attended  Billy,  for  he  was  compelled  to  acknowledge  his 
defeat,  which  fact  coming  to  the  notice  of  the  teacher, 
both  combatants  were  brought  under  pedagogical  disci- 
pline. The  course  of  poor  Billy's  love  was,  therefore, 
undisputably  rough,  but  though  his  spirit  was  humiliated, 
his  affection  remained  none  the  less  strong.  Like  the 
spider  that,  with  industrious  will,  rebuilds  again  and 
again  the  web  destroyed  by  vengeful  circumstance,  so 
Billy  returned  to  the  wreck  of  his  little  bower  and  care- 
fully reconstructed  the  arch,  with  greener  twigs  and 
fresher  flowers.  But  again  the  domineering  Stephen 
destroyed  the  romantic  little  shelter  and  thus  precipitated 
another  fight.  In  this  second  encounter  the  ruthless  boy 
again  humbled  his  rival,  but  by  chance  Billy  thought  of 
a  small  dagger  he  carried,  and  during  the  fight  it  fell  out 
of  the  scabbard  convenient  to  his  hand.  With  this  he 
contested  successfully  by  thrusting  its  keen  point  into 
Stephen's  hip,  bringing  a  copious  flow  of  blood.  The 
wounded  boy  cried  out,  "I'm  killed,  I'-m  killed  !  "  with 
such  piteous  voice  that  the  scholars  ran  to  inform  the 
teacher,  while  Billy,  frightened  at  what  he  had  almost 
unconsciously  done,  ran  off  with  all  possible  speed,  closely 
pursued  by  the  teacher,  but  not  closely  enough  to  be 
caught.  He  continued  his  flight  until  he  overtook  a  freight 
team  driven  by  an  acquaintance  named  John  Willis,  to 
whom  he  hastily  related  the  cause  of  his  hurry,  not  for- 
getting, of  course,  to  justify  the  act  he  had  committed. 

"Well,"  responded  Willis,  "you  served  him  right; 
g«t  up  in  the  wagon  and  go  with  me  to  Ft.  Kearney ; 


LIFE   OF    BUFFALO  BILL.  237 

the  trip  will  take  forty  days,  and  I  want  you  for  a  caval- 
lard  driver.  " 

This  proposition  suited  Billy,  for  his  adventurous  spirit 
caused  him  to  long  continually  for  an  engagement  that 
would  take  him  over  the  plains  among  the  buffaloes  and 
tfoyotes ;  but  he  could  not  go  without  first  seeing  his 
mother,  to  whom  he  was  most  ardently  attached.  Willis 
therefore  consented  to  camp  and  go  back  with  him  at 
night  to  see  his  mother  and  endeavor  to  gain  her  per- 
mission. 

Mrs.  Cody  had  already  heard  of  the  trouble  in  which 
Billy  had  became  involved,  but,  like  her  boy,  she  did 
not  know  the  extent  of  Gobel's  injuries,  imagining  them 
to  be  greater  than  they  were.  After  much  reflection  and 
(in  expression  of  poignant  regret,  Mrs.  Cody  at  last  gave 
her  consent  to  Willis*  proposition,  and  with  tears  stream- 
ing down  her  cheeks  bade  her  little  boy  good-bye,  not 
neglecting  to  implore  him  to  be  a  good  boy,  and  ever 
keep  in  mind  the  lesson  he  was  now  learning :  that  all 
wrong  was  sure  to  entail  punishment. 

It  so  happened  that  Gobel's  wound  consisted  of  a  very 
slight  cut,  which,  having  drawn  blood,  was  sufficient  to 
excite  grave  fears  in  the  wounded  lad.  But  Billy  felt 
that  he  had  committed  a  terrible  crime  and  very  natu- 
rally wanted  to  get  out  of  the  country  to  escape  the  fury 
of  Goble's  father  who,  he  rightly  suspected,  would  fol- 
low him. 

On  the  following  day,  while  Billy  was  sitting  beside 
Willis  on  the  wagon,  en  route  for  Kearney,  he  discovered 
old  man  Gobel,  accompanied  by  two  others,  who  had  got 
onto  the  trail  and  were  after  him.  Adopting  Willis* 
suggestion,  Billy  got  down  into  the  wagon-bed  and  hid 
himself  securely  among  the  freight,  leaving  his  friend  to 
represent  him.  Willis  was  a  plucky  fellow,  and  being 


238  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

well  armed  he  bluffed  the  pursuing  party  and  carried 
Billy  through  safely. 

This  incident  was  perhaps  the  turning  point  in  William 
Cody's  life,  for  it  proved  to  be  the  initiatory  ceremony 
which  conferred  on  him  the  first  degree  as  a  Knight  of 
the  Prairie,  and  caused  him  to  adopt  the  wild,  romantic 
life  he  has  ever  since  led. 

After  completing  the  journey  to  Kearney,  Billy  entered 
the  employ  of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell  again  as  a 
cow-boy,  which  employment  he  followed  for  several 
months.  Having  become  somewhat  emboldened  by  the 
length  of  his  absence,  he  at  last  returned  home,  where  he 
was  rejoiced  to  find  his  own  and  the  Gobel  family  on  ex- 
cellent terms  of  friendship,  and  Stephen  ready  to  extend 
the  palm  of  forgiveness. 

In  the  winter  of  1856-5T  Mr.  Cody  had  so  far  recov- 
ered that  he  was  again  able  to  leave  his  bed  and  travel, 
and  in  company  with  another  Free-State  man  named 
Boles,  went  to  Cleveland  to  bring  out  a  colony  to  Kansas, 
which  he  accomplished,  settling  the  new  emigrants  near 
Grasshopper  Falls.  But  directly  after  his  return  a  se- 
vere cold,  contracted  during  the  journey,  aggravated  his 
old  wound  and  in  the  April  following  he  died,  leaving  a 
large  family  illy  provided  for,  with  Billy,  who  was  now 
twelve  years  of  age,  the  main  support. 

With  a  heroism  which  has  blossomed  like  the  everlast- 
ing flower  throughout  his  life,  the  young  plainsman 
shouldered  the  burden  that  had  thus  fallen  upon  him, 
and  one  month  after  his  father's  death  he  sought  and 

O 

found  employment  with  the  great  freighters,  Russell, 
Majors  &  Waddell,  and  departed  with  his  mother's  bless- 
ings. He  was  assigned  to  duty  under  Frank  and  William 
McCarthy,  brothers,  who  were  engaged  to  drive  a  large 
herd  of  beef  cattle  to  Salt  Lake  City,  which  were  t* 


LIFB   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  239 

serre  as  food  for  Gen.  Albert  Sidney  Johnson's  army, 
then  operating  against  the  Mormons. 

To  appreciate  the  dangers  which  such  a  journey  invited 
at  that  date  of  Western  settlement  it  is  only  necessary  for 
the  reader  to  know  the  fact  that  in  addition  to  the  occu- 
pation of  the  country  by  Mormons,  hundreds  of  different 
warlike  tribes  of  Indians  infested  every  ravine  and  moun- 
tain pass,  many  of  these  pests  of  the  great  West  being 
employed  by  the  Mormons  to  massacre  overland  freight- 
ers and  emigrants.  It  therefore  required  eternal  vigi- 
lance upon  the  part  of  the  travelers  to  prevent  themselves 
from  falling  into  hands  as  unmerciful  as  the  iniquitous 
inquisitors.  Men  of  iron  nerve  and  desperate  pluck  were 
the  only  ones  who  attempted  the  perilous  journey,  and 
even  these  never  departed  from  their  border  homes  with- 
out taking  a  melancholy  farewell  of  their  kith  and  kin. 
Little  Billy,  by  which  familiar  and  no  less  euphonious  ap- 
pellation the  youthful  Buffalo  Bill  was  universally  known 
until  after  he  became  of  age,  was  the  only  boy  up  to  that 
time  that  had  ever  been  permitted  to  accompany  a  team 
across  the  plains,  as  an  assistant,  but  though  fully  ap- 
prised of  the  dangers  of  such  a  trip,  he  ran  up  the  black 
feather  and  shouldering  a  Mississippi  Yager  manifested 
the  greatest  pride  in  being  accepted  as  one  of  the  volun- 
teers for  such  a  hazardous  undertaking.  He  sought 
danger  for  the  spice  it  afforded. 

The  company,  comprising  cooks,  drivers,  herders,  etc., 
numbering  twelve  persons,  proceeded,  with  three  hun- 
dred head  of  cattle,  as  far  West  as  the  South  Platte, 
beyond  old  Ft.  Kearney,  before  they  met  with  any  inci- 
dent of  note.  Stopping  at  this  point  in  the  evening,  to 
go  into  camp,  they  met  with  a  surprise  which  came  near 
ending  in  the  annihilation  of  the  party.  Billy  was  busy- 
ing himself  carrying  wood  preparatory  to  cooking  sup- 


240  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 

per,  while  three  of  the  herders  were  rounding  up  the  cat- 
tle in  the  corral ;  the  others  were  distributed  around  the 
camping  place  preparing  the  tents  and  getting  things 
ready  for  the  night.  Suddenly,  yelling  and  shooting 
was  heard  out  where  the  herders  were,  and  with  the  first 
volley  three  men  were  killed,  having  been  taken  by  com- 
plete surprise  by  a  band  of  fifty  Indians.  The  men  in 
camp  gathered  their  arms  instantly,  just  in  time  to  meet 
the  charging  Indians  as  they  came  pell-mell  over  the  hill 
directly  for  the  wagons,  yelling  all  the  while  like  infuri- 
ated demons.  Billy  was  quick  in  comprehending  the 
situation,  and  though  his  heart  may  have  become  more 
violent  in  its  pulsations,  he  never  stopped  to  pray  or  ask 
advice  ;  but  gathering  his  gun  in  common  with  the  others 
got  behind  the  wagons  and  began  pouring  swift  lead  into 
the  Indians.  This  prompt  action,  resulting  as  it  did  in 
the  death  of  several  braves,  served  to  repel  the  charge. 
The  Indians,  however,  soon  rallied,  and  flanking  on  both 
sides  came  back  in  a  rainbow  movement,  which  promised 
greater  success.  The  McCarthy  boys,  appreciating  the 
danger  of  their  position,  ordered  the  men  to  break  for 
Plum  Creek,  the  banks  of  which  could  be  used  as  a  pro- 
tection and  breastwork.  In  this  retreat  one  of  the  party 
was  shot  in  the  leg,  the  wound  being  so  severe  that  his 
companions  had  to  carry  him  to  prevent  him  from  falling 
into  the  hands  of  the  red  demons. 

Beaching  Plum  Creek,  which  was  only  fifty  yards 
from  the  place  of  encampment,  the  men  tried  to  check 
the  Indians,  but  their  movements  were  anticipated  and 
in  order  to  prevent  being  entirely  cut  off,  the  McCarthys 
advised  a  retreat  down  the  stream  toward  Ft.  Kearney. 
The  wounded  man  was  placed  on  a  log  fortunately  found 
at  the  water's  edge  and  allowed  to  drift  with  the  current, 
which  chanced  to  be  rapid  by  reason  of  recent  rains. 


LIFE   OF    BUFFALO   BILL.  241 

The  men  by  excellent  markmanship,  kept  the  Indians  at 
a  distance,  and  thus  the  march  continued  for  about  twenty 
miles,  until  they  reached  a  jun  ction  of  the  creek  with  the 
North  Platte.  But  keeping  close  to  the  bank,  the  party 
continued  on  down  the  stream  throughout  th  e  night. 

Billy,  being  so  young,  became  very  much  exhausted  by 
so  long  a  march,  carrying  a  large  gun,  and  permitted  the 
others  to  get  nearly  a  hundred  yards  in  advance.  The 
night,  now  approaching  morning,  was  made  beautiful  by 
a  bright  full  moon,  and  in  closely  watching  the  banks 
Billy's  quick  eye  fell  upon  the  decorated  head-dress  of  a 
big  Indian  as  he  was  peering  over  the  bank  looking  for  a 
favorable  shot.  Quick  as  thought,  without  challenging 
the  enemy  or  shouting  to  his  companions  for  help,  the 
brave  boy  raised  his  gun  and  fired.  There  was  no  cause 
for  conjecture  regarding  the  effect  of  his  aim,  for  with  a 
leap  like  the  stricken  deer,  head-dress  and  Indian  came 
tumbling  down  the  embankment,  rolling  over  and  over  in 
the  descent,  and  fell  dead  at  Billy's  feet.  To  say  that  the 
youthful  Indian  slayer  was  surprised  affords  no  concep- 
tion of  his  feelings  ;  he  was  frightened  with  astonishment, 
and  when  his  companions  rushed  back  to  determine  the 
cause  of  the  shooting,  they  found  Billy  standing  beside 
his  victim  with  looks  indicative  of  victor  and  vanquished, 
too  puzzled  at  first  to  explain  his  act ;  but  the  dead  In- 
dian was  explanation  sufficient  and  Billy  was  at  once 
complimented  with  such  generous  enthusiasm  that  he 
soon  realized  what  a  heroic  deed  he  had  accomplished. 
After  the  loss  of  their  inquisitive  companion  the  Indians 
drew  off  and  left  Billy  and  his  party  to  pursue  the  re- 
mainder of  their  journey  unmolested. 

It  was  long  after  the  first  morning  hours  when  the 
footsore  party  reached  Kearney,  but  upon  arriving  at  the 
/ort  Frank  McCarthy  made  due  report  of  the  Indian  at- 


242  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

tack,  not  forgetting  to  elaborately  describe  the  bravery  of 
Billy  and  how  scientifically  the  lion-hearted  lad  had  slain 
the  "  biggest  Indian  in  the  outfit. " 

A  company  was  at  once  mounted  on  mules  and  sent 
out  from  the  fort,  taking  a  howitzer  with  them,  to  re- 
cover the  cattle  and  if  possible  punish  the  dusky  ma- 
rauders. Billy  was  allowed  to  accompany  the  soldiers, 
as  his  capabilities  were  now  reckoned  at  more  than  par. 
This  force,  upon  reaching  the  scene  of  attack,  found  the 
mutilated  remains  of  the  three  herders,  to  which  they 
gave  proper  burial  and  then  pushed  on  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians,  but  the  trail  was  lost  in  crossing  Republican 
river,  and  further  efforts  of  the  company  were  directed 
to  recovering  the  cattle.  But  even  this  object  of  the  ex- 
pedition had  to  be  abandoned,  as  it  was  found  that  the 
cattle  not  driven  off  by  the  Indians  had  been  stampeded 
with  buffaloes,  thus  rendering  their  recapture  impossible. 

The  first  expedition,  therefore,  in  which  Billy  had  been 
engaged  terminated  disastrously,  but  it  brought  to  him  a 
full  measure  of  adventure  and  notoriety.  The  fame  so 
soon  won  had  preceded  him  on  his  return,  so  that  when 
he  arrived  in  Leaven  worth,  on  his  way  home,  there  was 
an  enterprising  reporter  awaiting  to  interview  him.  Billy, 
though  by  no  means  vainglorious,  told  the  story  of  his 
adventure  with  much  satisfaction,  and  on  the  following 
day  he  found  the  substance  of  his  relation  under  a  bewil- 
dering, pyrotechnical  display  of  sensational  head  lines,  in 
which  he  was  heroized  with  a  veneering  of  eulogistic  ex- 
pressions impossible  of  analysis.  In  the  language  of  Buf- 
falo Bill,  this  incident  has  been  attached  to  his  name  like 
a  tin  kettle  to  a  dog's  tail,  and  ever  since  he  has  been  pur- 
suing life  with  this  appendage  clattering  at  his  heels. 
Many  men,  however,  have  been  made  famous  by  circum- 
stances much  loss  interesting  and  meritorious. 


LITE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  243 


CHAPTER  HI. 

BILLY  did  not  remain  at  home  long  before  another 
opportunity  was  offered  him  to  cross  the  plains.  With 
most  boys  a  trip  replete  with  experiences  such  as  he  had 
encountered  at  Plum  Creek  would  have  satisfied  their 
craving  for  further  adventure  in  that  direction,  but  to  him 
the  effect  was  to  increase  his  longing  for  the  plains,  to 
share  the  perils,  hardships  and  life  of  danger-loving  prai- 
rie free-rovers. 

The  opportunity  referred  to  earne  in  an  offer  made  him 
by  a  wagon  boss  named  Lew  Simpson,  who  was  in  the 
employ  of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  to  accompany  a 
freight  train  to  Salt  Lake  as  an  "  extra." 

Mrs.  Cody  was  decidedly  averse  to  her  boy  making 
another  trip  over  a  route  she  was  now  convinced  led 
through  the  greatest  dangers,  and  when  Simpson  begged 
hard  for  Billy,  pledging  to  return  him  in  safety,  she  pos- 
itively refused.  No  one  can  fail  to  appreciate  this  poor 
mother's  decision  ;  she  saw  in  the  proposed  trip  a  certain 
absence  of  nearly  one  year  even  should  no  evil  attend  her 
promising  son,  but  more  than  this,  she  could  not  avoid 
the  belief  that  should  he  go,  no  one  could  protect  him 
against  the  perils  that  he  must  encounter. 

Finding  her  decision  so  firm,  Billy  at  length  told  his 
mother  that,  while  he  regarded  her  desires  and  loved  her 
devotedly,  and  sought  to  render  true  filial  obedience,  yet 
he  must  needs  follow  some  occupation  that  would  yield  a 
necessary  subsistence  for  the  family  now  dependent  upon 
his  exertions  ;  that  he  must  therefore  go.  He  accordingly 
arranged  the  payment  of  his  monthly  salary  ($40.00), 
so  that  Mr.  Russell  could  turn  it  over  to  her  on  the  first 
of  each  month  during  his  absence. 


244  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Seeing  that  nothing  could  deter  him  frona  his  purpose, 
Mrs.  Cody  implored  Simpson  to  watch  over  her  boy  with 
tender  regard  ;  that  he  was  not  only  a  son  in  whom  her 
affections  centered,  but  her  staff  of  life  upon  whom  she 
was  now  compelled  to  lean.  Mr.  Russell  also  requested 
Simpson  to  protect  little  Billy  at  all  hazards,  and  these 
promises  being  given,  the  young  hero  was  suffered  to  de- 
part on  the  dangerous  journey,  leaving  a  weeping  and 
praying  mother  behind  him. 

Before  proceeding  to  a  relation  of  the  incidents  during 
the  trip,  it  is  needful  to  give  a  description  of  overland 
freighting,  and  also  some  idea  of  the  business  conducted 
by  the  great  freighters,  Russell,  Majors  &  Wad  dell.  The 
wagons  used  for  this  purpose  vrere  built  specially  by  a 
large  firm  in  St.  Louis,  and  #ere  constructed  with  a 
storage  and  carrying  capacity  tfi  7,000  pounds.  To  haul 
these  wagons,  when  loaded;  V,)ually  required  from  eight 
to  ten  yoke  of  oxen,  according  to  the  weight  of  the  cat- 
tle. A  train  of  prairie  schooners  consisted  of  twenty- 
five  wagons  in  charge  of  the  following  "officers  and  sea- 
men,'* so  to  speak  i  The  wagon-master,  who  acted  as 
captain  ;  then  came  the  assistant  wagon-master,  then  the 
extra  hand,  then  the  night  herder,  then  the  cavallard 
driver,  whose  duty  it  is  to  attend  the  extra  cattle.  Be- 
sides these  each  team  has  a  driver,  so  that  the  full  com- 
plement for  a  complete  train  is  thirty-one  men. 

Among  these  men  a  language  is  used  peculiarly  their 
own  ;  the  wagon-master  is  called  the  "  bull-wagon  boss,*' 
the  teamsters  are  "  bull- whackers,"  and  a  train  is  called 
a  "bull  outfit."  Everyman  is  expected  to  be  thorough- 
ly armed,  and  each  knows  where  to  "  fall  in  "  when  an 
attack  is  made,  which  at  that  date  was  anticipated  at  any 
time  while  passing  over  the  route  to  Salt  Lake. 
trail,  as  described  by  Buffalo  Bill,  ran  as  follows : 


LIFE  OF    BUFFALO  BILL. 


246  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

"  Through  Kansas  northwestwardly,  crossing  the  Big 
Blue  river,  then  over  the  Big  and  Little  Sandy,  coming 
into  Nebraska  near  the  Big  Sandy.  The  next  stream  of 
any  importance  was  the  Little  Blue,  along  which  the  trail 
ran  for  sixty  miles ;  then  crossed  a  range  of  sand-hills 
and  struck  the  Platte  river  ten  miles  below  old  Fort 
Kearney ;  thence  the  course  lay  up  the  South  Platte  to 
the  old  Ash  Hollow  Crossing,  thence  eighteen  miles 
across  to  the  North  Platte,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Blue 
Water,  where  Gen.  Harney  had  his  great  battle  in  1855 
with  the  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  Indians.  From  this  point 
the  North  Platte  was  followed,  passing  Court  House 
Rock,  Chimney  Rock  and  Scott's  Bluffs,  and  then  on  to 
Fort  Laramie,  where  the  Laramie  river  was  crossed. 
Still  following  the  North  Platte  for  some  considerable 
distance,  the  trail  crossed  this  river  at  old  Richard's 
Bridge,  and  followed  it  up  to  the  celebrated  Red  Buttes, 
crossing  the  Willow  Creeks  to  the  Sweet  Water,  passing 
the  great  Independence  Rock  and  the  Devil's  Gate,  up 
to  the  Three  Crossings  of  the  Sweet  Water,  thence  past 
the  Cold  Springs,  where,  three  feet  under  the  sod,  on 
the  hottest  day  of  summer,  ice  can  be  found  ;  thence  to 
the  Hot  Springs  and  the  Rocky  Ridge,  and  through  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  Echo  Canon,  and  thence  on  to  the 
great  Salt  Lake  valley." 

In  order  to  take  care  of  the  business  which  then  offer- 
ed, the  freight  for  transportation  being  almost  exclu- 
sively government  provisions,  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell 
operated  6,250  wagons,  for  the  hauling  of  which  they 
used  75,000  oxen,  and  gave  employment  to  8,000  men  ; 
the  capital  invested  by  these  three  freighters  was  nearly 
$2,000,000.  In  their  operations,  involving  such  an 
immense  sum  of  money,  and  employing  a  class  of 
laborers  incomparably  reckless,  some  very  stringent  rule* 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO    BILL.  247 

were  adopted  by  the  firm,  to  which  all  their  employes 
were  made  to  subscribe.  In  this  code  of  discipline  was 

the  following  obligation:  "I,  ,  do  hereby 

solemnly  swear,  before  the  Great  and  Living  God,  that 
during  my  engagement,  and  while  I  am  in  the  employ 
of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell,  that  I  will,  under  no 
circumstances,  use  profane  language ;  that  I  will  drink 
no  intoxicating  liquors  of  any  kind ;  that  I  will  not 
quarrel  or  fight  with  any  other  employe  of  the  firm, 
and  that  in  every  respect  I  will  conduct  myself  honestly, 
be  faithful  to  my  duties,  and  so  direct  all  my  acts  as 
will  win  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  my  employers,  so 
help  me  God." 

This  oath  was  the  creation  of  Mr.  Majors,  who  was  a 
very  pious  and  rigid  disciplinarian  ;  he  tried  hard  to  en- 
force it,  but  how  great  was  his  failure  it  is  needless  to 
say.  •  It  would  have  been  equally  profitable  had  the  old 
gentleman  read  the  riot  act  to  a  herd  of  stampeded  buf- 
faloes. And  he  believes  it  himself  now. 

Among  the  bull-whackers  who  accompanied  this  train 
with  Billy  was  J.  B.  Hickok,  who  afterward  became  the 
noted  "  Wild  Bill,"  and  between  the  two  an  intimate  ac- 
quaintance soon  sprang  up  which  ripened  into  the  strong- 
est friendship,  enduring  year  after  year  until  the  latter 's 
assassination  in  1876.  In  fact,  as  Buffalo  Bill  declares  in 
his  autobiography,  "  Wild  Bill  was  my  protector  (refer- 
ring to  the  time  when  his  first  overland  trip  was  made,) 
and  intimate  friend,  and  the  friendship  thus  begun  con- 
tinued until  his  death." 

The  route  as  described  was  the  same  as  tnat  taken  by 
Billy  and  the  McCarthy  boys  only  a  few  months  before, 
and  when  the  train  reached  Plum  Creek,  having  met  with 
no  adventure  worthy  of  note,  a  halt  was  made  for  one 

day  to  rest  the  oxen  and  take  a  buffalo  hunt. 
15 


£48  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Big  game  was  so  abundant  in  that  section  of  country 
that  writers  as  far  back  as  1860  asserted  that  there  were 
enough  buffaloes  on  the  "Western  prairies  to  feed  the 
whole  world  for  a  century,  and  that  ten  thousand  hunters 
shooting  day  after  day  for  a  hundred  years  could  make 
no  perceptible  diminution  in  the  number. 

Shortly  after  the  oxen  were  herded  and  the  wagons  lo- 
cated a  large  drove  of  buffaloes  were  discovered  bearing 
toward  the  camp  with  a  party  of  California  emigrants  in 
the  rear.  On  they  came  in  a  mad  stampede,  and  no 
amount  of  shouting  and  shooting  could  swerve  them 
from  their  course.  A  few  minutes  later  the  whole  herd 
of  more  than  one  thousand  crazed  animals  rushed  like  a 
wave  of  thunder  into  the  camp,  over  the  wagons,  oxen 
and  other  impediments,  crippling  themselves  but  making 
sad  havoc  of  the  train.  Wagons  were  overturned  and 
broken,  the  provisions  scattered  and  trampled,  and  when 
the  animated  wave  had  swept  over  and  by  there  was 
desolation  in  the  wake.  The  train  men  had  found  a 
great  many  more  buffaloes  than  they  had  intended  hunt- 
ing. It  required  two  days  of  hard  work  to  repair  the 
injury  so  that  the  train  could  proceed. 

On  the  following  day,  after  leaving  the  Plum  Creek 
camping  grounds,  the  train-men  met  Joe  Smith,  Jr.,  who 
was  acting  as  a  spy  for  the  Mormons,  ascertaining  the 
number  and  character  of  the  "  outfits"  on  the  road,  and 
preparing  for  their  capture.  As  no  one  in  the  train  know 
him  he  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  all  the  information 
he  desired. 

After  remaining  with  the  men  for  one  day,  Smith  made 
a  plausible  excuse  for  leaving  them,  and  then  rode  rap- 
idly to  an  appointed  rendezvous  where  the  Mormons, 
nearly  two  hundred  strong,  were  awaiting  his  orders. 

When  the  train  had  reached  the  Rocky  Mountains, 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  249 

within  eighteen  miles  of  Green  River,  suddenly  the  men 
were  surrounded  by  Joe  Smith  and  his  well-armed  fol- 
lowers, who,  being  whites,  did  not  arouse  any  suspicion 
upon  the  part  of  the  train-men  until  they  found  them- 
selves covered  by  Mormon  rifles.  Resistance,  under  the 
circumstances,  was  impossible,  and  Simpson,  after  roundly 
berating  the  apostles,  was  forced  to  submit. 

The  result  of  this  adventure  was  that,  after  rifling  the 
wagons  of  whatever  provisions  they  were  able  to  carry, 
the  Mormons  set  fire  to  the  train  and  drove  off  the  oxen. 
The  train-men,  however,  were  allowed  to  retain  their 
arms  and  one  wagon  and  six  yoke  of  oxen  and  sufficient 
provisions  to  last  the  party  until  they  could  reach  Fort 
Bridger. 

After  reaching  the  fort,  it  being  far  in  November,  the 
party  decided  to  spend  the  winter  there  with  about  four 
hundred  other  employes  of  Russell,  Majors  &  Waddell, 
rather  than  attempt  a  return,  which  would  have  exposed 
them  to  many  dangers  and  the  severity  of  a  rapidly-ap- 
proaching winter.  During  this  period  of  hibernation, 
however,  the  larders  of  the  commissary  became  so  de- 
pleted that  the  men  were  placed  on  one-quarter  rations, 
and  at  length,  as  a  final  resort,  the  poor,  dreadfully  ema- 
ciated mules  and  oxen  were  killed  to  afford  sustenance 
for  the  famishing  men. 

Fort  Bridger  being  located  in  a  prairie,  all  fuel  there 
used  had  to  be  carried  for  a  distance  of  nearly  two  miles, 
and  after  their  mules  and  oxen  were  butchered  the  men 
had  no  other  recourse  than  to  carry  the  wood  on  their 
backs  or  haul  it  on  sleds,  themselves  taking  the  part  of 
draught  animals. 

Starvation  was  beginning  to  lurk  about  the  post  when 
spring  approached,  and  but  for  the  timely  arrival  of  a 
westward-bound  train  loaded  with  provisions  for  John- 


$50  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

son's  army  some  of  the  party  must  certainly  have  fallen 
victims  to  deadly  hunger. 

Arrangements  having  been  made  for  a  return  to  Fort 
Leavenworth,  all  the  employes  at  Fort  Bridger  deter- 
mined to  accompany  the  returning  cavalcade,  and  Simp- 
son was  chosen  brigade  wagon-master  of  the  new  ' '  out- 
fit,3?  which  consisted  of  two  trains  and  four  hundred 
men. 

When  the  trains  approached  Ash  Hollow,  Simpson  de- 
cided to  leave  the  main  road  and  make  a  cut-off  by  fol- 
lowing the  North  Platte  down  to  its  junction  with  the 
South  Platte.  In  traveling  the  two  trains  had  become 
separated  with  an  intervening  space  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
miles  between  them,  the  latter  train  being  in  charge  of 
Assistant  Wagon-Master  Geo.  Woods,  under  whom  Billy 
was  acting  as  "  extra." 

Simpson,  accompanied  by  Woods,  desiring  to  reach 
the  head  train,  ordered  Billy  to  "  sinch"( saddle )up  and 
follow  him.  Tke  three  rode  rapidly  for  some  time  until 
they  reached  Cedar  Bluffs,  when  they  suddenly  dis^ 
covered  a  score  of  Indians  emerging  from  the  head  of  a 
ravine  less  than  half  a  mile  distant,  bearing  down  upon 
them  at  great  speed. 

"  Dismount  and  shoot  your  mules,"  was  the  quick 
order  issued  by  Simpson,  who  was  at  once  alive  to  the 
situation.  As  the  jaded  and  stricken  animals  dropped  in 
their  tracks,  the  three  men — or  rather  two  men  and  one 
little  boy — crouched  down  behind  the  mules  which  lay 
together  in  a  triangle,  and  using  their  dead  bodies  as 
breast-works,  opened  fire  on  the  Indians  with  Mississippi 
yagers  and  revolvers,  killing  three  and  wounding  two 
ponies.  The  red-skins,  surprised  at  the  hot-bed  they 
had  struck,  circled  around  and  sped  away  again,  halting 
iwvfsr&l  hundred  yards  distant,  evidently  for  consultatkix- 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  251 

This  gave  the  beleaguered  trio  time  to  reload  their 
weapons  and  prepare  for  a  second  charge,  which  they  felt 
sure  would  be  made. 

The  Indians  were  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  which 
of  course  required  close  range  to  be  effective,  and  this 
gave  the  little  party  an  advantage  which  partly  com- 
pensated for  the  superior  number  of  their  enemies. 

Little  Billy  showed  so  much  pluck  in  the  dangerous 
position  he  occupied  that  Simpson  could  not  help  prais- 
ing him,  and  by  way  of  further  encouragement  he  said : 

"  My  brave  little  man,  do  you  see  that  Indian  on  the 
right,  riding  out  from  the  party  to  reconnoiter?" 

"  Yes,  I'm  watching  him,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  suppose  you  give  him.  a  shot  just  by  way  of 
experiment." 

Billy  at  once  extended  himself  and  resting  his  gun  on 
the  body  of  the  mule  before  him,  took  steady  aim  and 
fired. 

"Bully  boy!  a  splendid  shot!"  shouted  Simpson  as 
he  saw  the  Indian  topple  from  his  horse,  struck  evidently 
in  the  side,  as  the  wounded  savage  commenced  trying  to 
crawl,  his  hand  pressed  over  the  injured  spot.  The  dis- 
tance was  fully  three  hundred  yards. 

After  a  long  parley  the  Indians  scattered,  and  came 
charging  back  again  whooping  in  a  delirium  of  excite- 
ment. When  they  had  approached  within  less^than  one 
hundred  yards,  the  besieged  party  turned  loose  on  them, 
shooting  two  more  out  of  the  saddle ;  but  the  Indians 
rushed  on  discharging  a  shower  of  arrows,  one  of  which 
pierced  Geo.  Wood's  right  shoulder,  producing  a  very 
painful  wound.  More  than  a  dozen  other  arrows  struck 
in  the  bodies  of  the  dead  mules,  but  inflicted  no  other 
damage.  For  a  second  time  the  red  warriors  were  re- 
pulsed and  when  they  drew  off  again  it  was  evidently  for 


282  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

the  purpose  of  resorting  to  other  tactics.  Getting  be- 
yond  the  range  of  the  yagers,  the  Indians  formed  in  a 
large  circle,  tethered  their  ponies  and  disposed  themselves 
for  a  siege,  with  the  evident  intention  of  starving  out  the 
brave  trio. 

About  three  hours  afterward,  however,  the  cracking  of 
bull-whackers'  whips  was  heard,  and  soon  the  advancing 
train  was  seen  coming  over  a  hill.  The  Indians  appre- 
ciated what  this  meant,  and  gaining  their  ponies  rode 
down  on  the  little  party  again,  discharging  another  flight 
of  arrows  and  receiving  a  volly  of  bullets  in  return.  No 
damage  was  inflicted  on  either  side  in  the  last  charge, 
and  the  three  were  saved.  Their  safety,  however,  was 
due  entirely  to  the  prompt  and  decisive  action  of  Simp- 
son, who  was  a  man  exactly  suited  for  working  out  des- 
perate circumstances  to  his  own  advantage. 

After  bandaging  Wood's  wound  the  train  started  again 
and  met  with  no  further  detention  or  accident,  reaching 
Leavenworth  in  July,  1858.  Wild  Bill  had  been  a  special 
companion  of  Billy's  during  the  entire  trip,  and  so  warm 
had  become  the  attachment  between  them  that  the  latter 
gave  him  a  pressing  invitation  to  go  with  him  to  his  home 
for  a  short  visit,  a  request  which  Wild  Bill  acceded  to. 
During  this  visit  he  was  treated  with  so  much  attention 
that  he  became  as  one  of  the  family,  and  ever  after,  until 
the  death  of  Billy's  mother,  he  called  her  "Mother 
Cody." 

Billy  had  been  at  home  scarcely  one  month  before  he 
engaged  himself  as  assistant  wagon-master  to  another 
train  which  was  made  up  at  Ft.  Laramie  to  carry  supplies 
to  a  new  post  just  established  at  Cheyenne  Pass.  In  this, 
his  third  trip,  he  met  with  no  stirring  adventure  and  got 
through  without  losing  a  team  or  man.  This  result  waC 
in  pleasing  varience  with  his  two  former  trips,  both  of 


LITE   OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  258 

which  had  been  so  full  of  stirring  incidents  and  disas- 
trous consequences. 

Upon  his  return  to  Laramie  from  Cheyenne  Pass  he 
entered  into  an  engagement  with  a  Mr.  Ward,  the  post- 
trader,  to  trap  for  beaver,  mink  and  otter  on  the  Chug- 
water,  and  poison  wolves  for  their  peltries.  This  enter- 
prise, yielding  little  or  no  profit,  was  abandoned  after  a 
two  months'  experiment,  and  Billy  returned  to  Laramie, 
where,  a  few  days  after,  in  company  with  two  others,  he 
started  back  to  Leaven  worth. 

Upon  reaching  the  Little  Blue,  the  three  were  jumped 
by  a  party  of  Indians,  who  chased  them  for  several  hours, 
and  doubtless  would  have  captured  them  had  not  dark- 
ness intervened  to  assist  them  in  escaping.  After  "  los- 
ing" the  Indians  the  trio  discovered  a  cave,  in  which  they 
resolved  to  spend  the  night,  but  upon  lighting  a  match 
they  were  horrified  at  finding  the  place  tenanted  by  the 
bones  and  dessicated  flesh  of  murdered  emigrants,  who 
had  gone  the  way  of  hundreds  of  other  unfortunate  pil- 
grims seeking  gold  and  fortune  in  the  far  West. 

Without  waiting  to  make  an  investigation,  the  three 
now  badly-frightened  travellers  broke  camp,  and  regard- 
less of  the  cold  and  snow,  pushed  rapidly  forward.  After 
journeying  all  night  they  reached  Oak  Grove,  and  there 
taking  in  a  fresh  supply  of  necessaries,  resumed  their 
homeward  march,  reaching  Leav.enworth  in  February, 
1859. 


254  HEBOES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BILLY,  who  had  now  reached  the  age  of  fourteen  years, 
and  was  unusually  large  for  one  of  that  age,  having  been 
almost  wholly  without  schooling,  following  his  mother's 
entreaties,  concluded  to  attend  a  school  which  had  just 
been  opened  in  the  neighborhood  of  Grasshopper  Falls. 

The  pretty  little  Mary  Hyatt,  however,  had  removed 
from  that  section,  and  Stephen  Gobel  had  forgotten  the 
rivalry  which  resulted  in  broken  arbors  and  a  bloody  se- 
quel. His  attention  being  diverted  by  no  love  episodes, 
Billy  applied  himself  with  becoming  diligence  during  the 
session,  which  lasted  for  a  period  of  ten  weeks,  and  made 
a  most  gratifying  progress.  This  was  the  longest  term 
of  school  he  ever  attended,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  all  the 
schooling  he  ever  received  would  aggregate  six  months, 
though  he  is  now  comparatively  well  educated,  acquired 
almost  wholly  by  extensive  travel  and  association  with 
polished  people. 

When  spring  returned  and  the  warm  rays  of  a  conge- 
nial sun  freshened  the  brown  grass  on  the  prairie,  turning 
it  into  an  emerald  sward  as  boundless  almost  as  the  sky 
overhead,  the  old  impulse  seized  on  Billy  again  and  he 
determined  to  seek  the  far  West  where  adventure  and 
danger  incite  the  restless  spirit  of  brave  men. 

In  addition  to  the  promptings  of  his  own  nature  there 
was  a  further  motive  in  the  recent  discoveries  of  gold  at 
Pike's  Peak.  Who  that  is  thirty  years  of  age  now  will 
forget  the  wild  excitement  occasioned  by  the  delirium- 
producing  stories  which  floated  as  generous  as  the  air  into 
every  nook  of  America,  declaring  the  illimitable  store- 
house of  gold  just  laid  bare  at  Pike's  Peak?  There  was 
magic  in  the  very  name,  and  I  distinctly  recall  to  mind 


LITE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  255 

now,  though  a  small  boy  at  the  time,  that  the  whisky 
bottles  used  then  had  the  figure  of  a  pilgrim  with  pack 
and  pick  on  his  shoulder,  blown  in  one  side,  with  the 
declaration,  "Bound  for  Pike's  Peak,"  underneath. 
Why,  since  I  come  to  think  of  it,  my  mother  is  using  one 
of  those  old  Pike's  Peak  bottles  at  this  very  day  as  a  recep- 
tacle for  camphor. 

Billy,  young  in  years,  though  now  a  man  in  size,  in 
common  with  thousands  of  others  seized  a  pick  and  set 
out  for  the  wonderful  diggings.  He  located  on  Cherry 
Creek  where  there  was  a  camp  called  Aurora,  on  the  site 
now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Denver.  After  digging 
around  Aurora  for  a  few  days,  the  ignusfatuus  led  him 
further  up  the  mountains  to  Black  Hawk,  where  he  set- 
tled and  worked  most  assiduously  for  a  period  of  two 
months  without  finding  as  much  as  a  handful  of  pay  dirt. 
In  the  meantime  provisions  were  so  high  that  it  took  a 
Jacob's  ladder  to  reach  the  smell  of  cold  beans. 

Billy  became  not  only  tired  but  disgusted  with  the  re- 
sult of  his  mining  labors  and  resolved  to  get  out  of  the 
country.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  others  in  camp 
of  the  same  turn  of  mind  as  himself,  and  such  as  he  de- 
sired as  companions  he  induced  to  accompany  him  back. 
Of  the  numerous  caravans  and  individuals  who  adopted  as 
their  motto,  "Pike's  Peak  or  Bust,"  Billy  and  his  party 
fell  back  on  the  latter  end  of  the  bold  legend.  They 
were  so  badly  "busted,"  in  fact,  that  the  only  convey- 
ance left  them  was  their  legs.  Setting  out  on  these  the 
party  proceeded  on  foot  to  the  Platta  river,  where  the 
idea  possessed  Billy  that  they  might  make  the  remainder 
of  their  journey  to  Leavenworth  on  an  improvised  raft. 

By  various  means,  but  chiefly  by  killing  game  along 
the  way,  the  party  subsisted  comfortably  while  they 
floated  down  the  stream  on  a  rickety  collection  of  logs. 


256  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Matters  were  satisfactory  enough  until  they  reached 
Jule's  ranche,  or  Julesburg,  where  having  met  a  swifter 
current  the  raft  struck  a  snag  and  went  to  pieces  with  a 
suddenness  no  less  astonishing  than  the  bath  which  in- 
stantly followed.  Fortunately,  though  the  North  Platte 
is  a  broad  stream,  it  is  generally  shallow,  and  the  party 
had  to  swim  but  a  short  distance  before  they  found  a 
footing,  and  then  waded  ashore. 

Everything  having  been  lost  with  the  raft,  including 
their  arms  and  such  provisions  as  they  had,  the  party 
stopped  at  Julesburg  to  wait  for  something  to  turn  up. 

It  so  happened  that  the  great  Pony  Express  had  just 
been  established  between  Omaha  and  Pike's  Peak,  and 
other  far  Western  points,  including  San  Francisco.  This 
route  ran  by  Julesburg  where  the  company  had  an  agent 
in  the  person  of  George  Chrisman,  who  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  Billy,  the  two  having  freighted  together 
for  Eussell,  Majors  &  Waddell. 

Finding  Billy  out  of  employment  and  express  riders 
being  scarce,  Chrisman  offered  him  a  position  as  rider, 
which  was  gladly  accepted. 

The  requirements  for  this  occupation  w~re  such  that 
very  few  were  qualified  for  the  performance  01  the  duties. 
The  distance  and  time  required  to  be  made  were  fifteen 
miles  per  hour.  Only  boys  could  be  employed  on  ac- 
count of  the  weight  to  be  carried,  and  such  laborious  rid- 
ing could  be  endured  by  very  few.  Nevertheless,  Billy 
was  an  expert  horseman  and  having  the  constitution  and 
endurance  of  a  broncho  he  braved  the  perils  and  duties  of 
the  position  and  was  assigned  to  a  route  of  forty-five 
miles. 

After  riding  for  several  months  he  received  a  letter 
from  his  mother  urging  him  to  return  home  and  give  up 
a  position  which  would  surely  destroy  his  health.  But  he 


LITE   OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  257 

continued  in  the  employ  of  the  express  company  until  an- 
other letter  came  informing  him  of  the  severe  illness  of 
his  mother ;  his  filial  love  being  stronger  than  any  other 
trait  of  character,  he  immediately  resigned  and  hurried  to 
the  bedside  of  his  beloved  parent,  whom  he  was  rejoiced 
fx>  find  growing  better. 


CHAPTER  V. 

REMAINING  at  home  scarcely  one  month  Billy  received 
an  invitation  from  an  old  friend,  named  Dave  Harring- 
ton, to  accompany  him  on  a  trapping  expedition  up  the 
Republican  river,  which,  with  hasty  preparation,  he  gladly 
accepted. 

The  two  started  out  from  Salt  Creek  valley  with  an 
outfit  consisting  of  a  wagon  filled  with  traps  and  provis- 
ions drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen. 

It  was  near  the  middle  of  November  when  the  two 
started  on  the  expedition,  Mrs.  Cody  standing  in  the 
door  when  the  team  moved  off,  wiping  the  tears  from  her 
eyes  and  giving  bounteous  blessings  to  her  beloved  boy, 
watching  with  painful  emotions  until  the  white  cover  of 
the  wagon  which  sheltered  her  dearest  treasure  became 
hidden  by  the  prairie  undulations  in  the  distance. 

The  two  made  excellent  progress  and  met  with  no  de- 
tention, arriving  at  the  mouth  of  Prairie  Dog  Creek  early 
in  December.  Here  they  found  an  abundance  of  beaver 
and  trapped  with  such  success  that  they  secured  three 
hundred  beaver  and  one  hundred  otter  skins  before  the 
severe  weather  interfered  with  their  occupation. 

Having  obtained  a  full  load  of  peltries  it  was  decided 


258  HEROES   OP  THE   PLAINS. 

to  remain  in  the  dug-out  which  they  had  constructed  un- 
til the  beginning  of  spring,  when  the  return  trip  could  be 
made  without  dangerous  exposure. 

During  the  period  of  waiting  the  two  occupied  much 
of  their  time  shooting  elk,  large  numbers  of  which  were 
roaming  constantly  within  convenient  proximity.  On 
one  occasion  while  out  hunting  and  in  pursuit  of  a  large 
herd  of  elk,  while  passing  around  a  large  rock  projecting 
over  a  small  ravine,  Billy  made  a  false  step  and  was  pre- 
cipitated onto  the  rocks  below,  the  fall  breaking  his  leg 
between  the  knee  and  ankle.  This  accident,  always  se- 
rious, was  doubly  so  under  the  circumstances,  when  no 
surgical  aid  could  be  had,  nor  any  but  a  miserably  insuffi- 
cient attention  could  be  given  to  mitigate  the  injury.  To 
add  still  further  to  the  misfortunes  of  the  suffering  boy, 
only  a  few  days  before  this  accident  one  of  the  oxen  had 
broken  a  leg  and  Harrington  had  been  compelled  to  shoot 
the  animal.  Here  the  two  trappers  were,  in  the  midst  of 
winter  storms,  without  a  team,  and  Billy  rolling  in  an 
agony  which  his  partner  was  unable  to  relieve. 

After  discussing  the  situation  for  some  time  Harring- 
ton said : 

"  Well,  Billy,  this  is  a  bad  box,  and  the  only  way  to 
get  out  is  for  me  to  reach  the  nearest  settlement  and  get 
a  team  to  haul  you  home." 

The  poor  boy,  though  he  well  knew  that  the  nearest 
place  from  which  succor  could  be  obtained  was  fully  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  distant,  and  appreciated 
all  the  terrors  of  a  long  and  painful  waiting  alone, 
among  the  hungry  wolves  and  bands  of  equally  ferocious 
Indians,  told  Harrington  to  do  as  he  thought  best  about 
making  the  trip. 

It  is  no  less  pathetic  than  astonishing,  the  devotion 
wbich  is  so  often  found  among  the  Western  pioneer* 


LIFE  OP  BUFFALO  BILL.  259 

whose  uncouth  language  and  grizzly  garb,  if  taken  as  ail 
index  to  their  true  character,  would  lead  to  the  inference 
that  they  are  destitute  of  that  human  kindness  which  re- 
deems mankind  and  compensates  our  vices. 

Brave  Dave  Harrington,  just  like  Cody  himself,  big- 
hearted,  noble,  generous,  self-sacrificing,  immediately 
prepared  for  the  tedious  winter  journey.  Collecting 
about  and  within  convenient  reach  of  Billy,  plenty  of 
dried  beef,  water  and  other  provisions  needful  for  the 
sufferer's  subsistence,  Dave  set  out  on  the  long  trip,  bid- 
ding his  companion  be  cheerful  and  to  expect  his  return 
in  twenty-one  days. 

Finding  himself  utterly  alone,  poor  Billy — I  say4 'poor" 
because  the  facts  cannot  fail  to  arouse  the  deepest  pity 
nnd  make  us  sympathize  with  him  even  now  in  remem- 
brance, because  sensibly  affected  by  the  realization  of 
Ms  terrible  situation — inside  a  rude  "  dug-out,"  the 
trapper's  home,  consisting  of  an  excavation  in  the  side  of 
a  hill  boarded  up  inside,  and  a  single  door  for  entrance 
and  ventilation,  Billy  lay  on  his  rude  litter  nursing  the 
inflamed  and  painful  fracture  ;  nothing  to  relieve  his  lone- 
someness  save  the  howls  of  prowling  wolves  scrambling 
about  the  chimney,  peering  down  through  the  mud  and 
sticks  and  sniffing  at  the  chink  under  the  door.  Nothing 
else  to  disturb  his  sombre  reflections,  save  the  whistling 
winds  which  came  sweeping  over  his  rude  habitation 
rattling  at  the  puncheon  door  and  making  the  trees  out- 
eide  groan  in  consonance  with  the  biting  cold. 

Day  after  day,  time,  like  a  foot-sore  and  weary  pilgrim, 
jogged  slowly  and  drearily  along  until  the  tenth  day  had 
departed  since  Harrington  left  on  his  mission  for  help. 
The  shades  of  mid-winter  were  just  gathering  in  the  dark- 
ening fold  of  eventide  when  Billy  was  aroused  from  his 
revery  by  a  singular  noise  outside  the  door  of  his  abode. 


260  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

There  were  shuffling  feet  near  the  entrance,  and  then  a 
moment  of  silence,  followed  by  voices  which  his  experi- 
enced ears  told  him  proceeded  from  Indians.  Uninvited, 
more  than  a  dozen  Sioux,  headed  by  chief  Rain-in-the< 
face,  forced  an  entrance  into  the  dug-out  as  though  in- 
tent upon  rifling  the  place,  thinking  the  owners  were  ab-» 
sent.  But  Billy  rose  up  from  his  pallet  and  when  the  In- 
dians' eyes  fell  upon  him  a  murmur  of  confused  voices 
followed,  which  he  interpreted  as  a  prelude  to  the  ter- 
mination of  his  earthly  career. 

A  stroke  of  good  fortune,  however,  came  to  the  suf* 
fering  boy  in  his  direst  extremity.  Old  Rain-in-the-face 
chanced  to  be  an  acquaintance  of  Billy's,  having  met  him 
frequently  at  Laramie,  and  this  acquaintance  saved  his 
life.  The  old  chief  told  Billy  that  the  Indians  had  in- 
tended to  kill  him,  but  he  had  prevailed  on  them  to  spare 
his  life  on  account  of  his  youth.  This  was  joyful  news, 
but  the  Indians  remained  in  the  dug-out  all  night,  feast- 
ing themselves  on  the  provisions  left  for  Billy's  use,  and 
when  they  departed  on  the  following  morning  took  with 
them  nearly  everything  in  his  larder,  besides  all  the  fire- 
arms. He  was  thus  left  in  a  more  trying  situation  than 
before,  with  many  days  yet  to  elapse  before  he  could 
expect  Harrington's  return. 

To  add  still  further  to  the  ordeal  of  suffering  he  waa 
compelled  to  endure,  a  terrible  snow-storm  began  on  the 
fifteenth  day  after  Dave's  departure  and  continued  until 
the  snow  had  fallen  to  a  depth  of  nearly  three  feet, 
blocking  the  entrance  to  his  hut,  and  as  he  well  knew, 
must  seriously  delay  Harrington,  perhaps  cause  him  to 
lose  the  way  or  furnish  a  trail  for  a  band  of  murderous 
Indians.  These  forebodings  almost  crazed  him,  for  in 
addition  to  the  probable  loss  of  his  friend,  starvation 
threatened  him,  and  his  injured  limb  had  become  daily 
more  painful  from  enforced  neglect. 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  261 

At  last  the  twenty-first  day  dawned,  Billy  having  com- 
puted the  time  by  marking  on  the  wall  each  day  as  it 
passed.  Every  passing  sound  he  felt  sure  was  the  foot- 
step of  his  friend,  but  disappointment  and  hope  came 
and  went  like  the  pendulum  of  a  clock  ticking :  fortune, 
disaster ;  fortune,  disaster.  It  was  thus  that  the  day 
came  and  died,  and  another  dawn  succeeded  only  to 
arouse  the  same  feelings  of  hope  and  dejection. 

The  fire  had  expired  for  lack  of  fuel  to  replenish  it,  and 
the  faint,  hungry,  now  almost  hopeless  boy,  was  forced 
to  gnaw  the  few  remaining  chunks  of  frozen  venison  left 
him,  from  which  it  was  possible  to  obtain  barely  enough 
to  keep  from  starving,  but  never  enough  to  stay  hunger. 

It  was  not  until  the  twenty-ninth  day  after  his  depar- 
ture that  faithful  Dave  Harrington  arrived  at  the  old  hut, 
his  approach  being  heralded  by  deep,  sonorous  commands 
addressed  to  the  yoke  of  oxen  he  had  driven  through 
the  snows  and  perils  of  a  northern  winter  when  every 
bill  and  valley  was  the  bivouac  of  depredating  Indians. 

When  the  grateful  sounds  of  Dave's  voice  fell  on  Bil- 
ly's ears  the  famishing  boy  believed  it  was  the  first  warn- 
ing of  delirium,  admonishing  him  to  prepare  for  the  last 
horrors  of  starvation.  But  soon  he  heard  that  same  voice 
ring  out  clearly  before  the  snow-embarred  door : 

4 < Hello,  Billy  !  are  you  alive  yet?" 

"  Yes,  Dave,  still  alive,  but  nearly  gone." 

Tjhen  the  brawny  hands  of  Harrington  fell  to  work 
clearing  away  the  snow  with  such  exertions  as  he  would 
have  employed  to  rescue  a  friend  buried  alive.  It  was 
but  a  few  moments  ere  the  door  was  pushed  open,  and 
rescued  and  rescuer  fell  into  each  others  arms,  weeping 
with  the  joy  of  reunited  friends  after  passing  through  the 
valley  of  tribulation. 

After  rehearsing  to  each  other  the  incident*  that  had 


262  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

transpired  during  the  painful  separation,  in  which  Har- 
rington told  how  he  braved  dangers  few  men  could 
survive,  tumbling  into  snow-drifts,  wading  treacherous 
streams,  etc.,  the  two  made  preparations  to  return,  though 
the  perils  of  the  journey  over  a  territory  beset  with  so 
many  uninviting  prospects  were  sufficient  to  deter  any 
but  the  stoutest  hearts. 

A  bed  was  carefully  made  in  the  wagon  of  furs  and 
blankets,  on  which  Harrington  placed  Billy,  and  bidding 
good-bye  to  the  old  hut  in  the  hillside,  the  two  set  out 
for  Junction  City.  Directly  after  their  departure,  the 
sun  came  out  warm  and  revivifying,  and  in  three  days 
the  snow  had  melted  so  rapidly  that  they  experienced  no 
further  difficulty  in  traveling. 

Reaching  the  place  from  whence  Harrington  had  hired 
the  team  to  bring  Billy  away  from  the  dug-out,  another 
yoke  of  oxen  was  purchased,  being  paid  for  in  peltries, 
and  the  latter  end  of  the  journey  was  accomplished  with- 
out further  incident. 

Arriving  at  Junction  City,  Dave  and  Billy  sold  their 
furs  at  a  most  satisfactory  price,  and  also  the  team,  for 
which  they  had  no  further  use,  as  government  mule  trains 
were  almost  daily  passing  that  point,  bound  for  Leaven- 
worth,  with  which  transportation  was  easily  arranged. 

The  two  trappers  reached  Leavenworth  in  March,  1860, 
and  Billy,  unable  to  get  about,  begged  his  friend  to  ao 
company  him  home,  for  at  least  a  short  visit.  Harring- 
ton, who  was  warmly  attached  to  his  now  helpless  com- 
panion, assented  after  small  persuasion,  arriving  at  Salt 
Creek  Valley  after  a  delay  of  one  day  at  Leavenworth. 

Mrs.  Cody  was  overcome  with  joy  when  she  received 
her  boy,  but  cast  down  again  with  grief  at  seeing  his 
condition,  which,  with  a  mother's  natural  solicitude,  she 
at  first  magnified  into  a  aerious  injury.  Upon  learning 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  263 

the  noble,  generous  part  acted  by  Harrington  toward 
Billy,  with  tears  of  thankfulness  and  gratitude  she  mani- 
fested her  appreciation  and  obligation  to  the  brave  man 
who  had  submitted  to  all  danger  and  privation  to  secure 
the  safety  of  her  darling  boy. 

Harrington  remained  with  Billy  at  Mrs.  Cody's  home 
for  several  days,  treated  with  the  consideration  his  sacri- 
fices deserved ;  but  after  the  lapse  of  a  week,  thinking 
he  had  been  idle  too  long  already,  he  set  about  perform- 
ing some  needful  work  on  Mrs.  Cody's  premises.  While 
planting  trees  on  a  cold  damp  day  in  the  latter  part  of 
March  the  exposure,  though  not  to  be  compared  with 
what  he  had  so  recently  passed  through,  was  such  that  he 
contracted  a  severe  cold,  which  speedily  grew  into  pneu- 
monia. Despite  the  most  careful  attention  from  Mrs. 
Cody  and  the  services  of  a  physician  from  Leavenworth, 
poor  Dave  Harrington,  one  of  the  noblest  of  God's 
creatures,  died,  after  an  illness  of  one  week.  Far  from 
home  and  relations,  he  yielded  up  his  brave  spirit  sur- 
rounded by  most  devoted  friends  who  mourned  him  as  a 
brother,  and  laid  him  away  under  a  sod  freshened 
with  their  tears. 

Even  to  this  day  to  speak  of  Dave  Harrington  in  Buf- 
falo Bill's  presence  will  turn  him  from  the  merriest  mood 
and  bring  tears  to  his  eyes.  There  is  a  large  place  in 
Cody's  heart  reserved  for  the  memory  of  his  dearest 
friend. 

16 


264  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BILLY  remained  at  home  until  his  injured  leg  had  be- 
come thoroughly  strong,  and  it  being  now  the  long  and 
tedious  days  of  summer,  he  determined  to  cast  about 
again  for  occupation  somewhere  in  the  great  wild  West. 

Proceeding  to  Leavenworth  he  there  met  Lew  Simpsoa 
to  whom  he  made  known  his  wishes,  and  received  in  re- 
ply an  invitation  to  accompany  a  train  just  then  being 
made  up  for  Ft.  Laramie.  But  "bull-whacking"  was 
not  exactly  the  employment  most  desirable,  and  Billy 
asked  Simpson's  influence  in  securing  the  position  of 
pony-express  rider  again. 

The  result  of  this  application  was  Billy's  departure 
for  Atchison,  where  he  met  Mr.  Russell,  proprietor  of 
the  Express,  who  gave  him  a  letter  to  Alf.  Slade,  who  was 
superintendent  of  the  route  between  Rocky  Ridge  and 
Juleeburg,  with  headquarters  at  Horse  Shoe  Station,  neai 
Laramie. 

Having  to  go  overland  almost  to  Laramie,  Billy  con- 
cluded to  accompany  Simpson's  train,  thereby  making  the 
necessary  trip  a  profitable  one.  Upon  reaching  Horge 
Shoe  he  presented  Mr.  Russell's  letter  to  Slade,  who,  af- 
ter critically  examining  the  youthful  applicant,  said : 

"My  boy,  you're  a  mite  too  young  for  the  business  ? 
I'm  afraid  you  couldn't  stand  it  more'n  a  week." 

"I'd  like  to  try  again,"  responded  Billy.  "I  rode 
Bill  Trotter's  division  for  two  months  last  year  and 
stood  the  shaking  all  right,  so  I  don't  see  why  I  couldn't 
do  as  well  now,  as  I'm  a  year  older." 

"Are  you  the  young  one  who  rode  that  route  and  was 
called  the  youngest  express  rider  in  the  West?" 

"  That's  me,"  replied  the  anxious  Billy,  "  and  I'd  like 
to  do  it  again." 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  265 

"  Then  I'll  take  you,"  answered  Slade,  "  and  you  can 
go  right  to  work  between  Red  Buttes  and  Three  Cross- 
ings." 

Thus  the  engagement  was  concluded  and  Billy  entered 
upon  active  service  the  following  day. 

Red  Buttes  was  a  station  on  the  North  Platte,  and 
Three  Crossings  was  a  point  seventy-six  miles  west,  on 
the  Sweetwater.  This  route,  a  very  long  and  dangerous 
one,  ran  by  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  town  of  North 
Platte,  and  through  what  is  now  the  main  street  of  that 
place.  During  a  visit  I  made  to  Buffalo  Bill,  at  his 
home,  in  May,  1881,  while  riding  with  him,  we  crossed 
the  U.  P.  railroad  bridge  over  the  North  Platte  river, 
and  from  this  point  of  observation  he  showed  me  where 
the  express  crossing  of  that  stream  was  made.  Although 
the  North  Platte  is  generally  quite  shallow  it  is  more 
than  half  a  mile  wide,  and  in  some  places  quite  deep. 
The  crossing,  which  was  always  made  on  horseback  by 
the  express  riders,  was  only  two  or  three  hundred  yards 
south  of  the  present  railroad  bridge,  and  near  the  west 
shore  where  the  channel  runs,  the  water  is  about  twelve 
feet  in  depth,  besides  being  very  swift.  The  reader  can 
readily  imagine,  from  this  superficial  description,  the 
nerve  required  in  a  rider  over  this  perilous  route,  where 
an  average  of  fifteen  miles  per  hour,  including  changes  of 
horses,  had  to  be  made. 

Coming  to  the  North  Platte,  regardless  of  the  frequent 
swollen  and  turbulent  condition  of  the  stream,  Billy  had 
to  plunge  in  and  take  his  chances  of  getting  to  the  other 
shore.  Time  and  again  he  was  carried  down  on  the 
roaring  waters,  his  horse's  feet  swept  from  under  him, 
and  met  with  disasters  from  which  escape  seemed  impos- 
sible ;  but  he  always  gained  the  shore  and  lost  very  few 
horses  by  drowning. 


266  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Only  a  short  time  after  entering  upon  his  duties,  upon 
reaching  Three  Crossings  he  found  that  the  rider  on  the 
next  division,  who  had  a  route  of  eighty-six  miles,  had 
been  killed  during  the  night  before,  and  he  was  called  on 
to  make  the  extra  trip  until  another  rider  could  be  em- 
ployed. This  was  a  request  the  compliance  with  which 
would  involve  the  most  taxing  labors  and  an  endurance 
few  persons  are  capable  of,  nevertheless  Billy  was 
promptly  on  hand  for  the  additional  journey  and  reached 
Rocky  Ridge,  the  limit  of  the  second  route,  on  time. 
This  round  trip,  of  three  hundred  and  twenty-two  miles, 
was  made  without  a  stop,  except  for  meals  and  change  of 
horses,  and  every  station  on  the  route  was  entered  on 
time,  the  longest  and  best  ridden  pony  express  journey 
ever  made. 

During  his  occupation  as  an  express  rider  Billy  met 
with  many  adventures,  not  alone  in  crossing  the  North 
Platte,  but  in  running  through  a  country  infested  with 
hostile  Indians.  Fortunately  the  country  was  an  open 
one  so  that  an  ambush  was  impossible,  but  more  than  a 
score  of  times  the  Indians  swarmed  down  upon  him,  and 
he  escaped  only  by  the  superior  swiftness  of  his  horse, 
and  his  usual  good  luck  in  avoiding  bullets  and  arrows. 

After  the  poney  express  had  become  a  thoroughly  es- 
tablished institution,  frequently  transporting  money  and 
other  valuables,  the  Indians  killed  several  riders  whose 
packs  yielded  sufficient  revenue  to  make  a  systematic 
robbery  along  the  route  profitable  to  the  otherwise  unem- 
ployed red  devils.  These -depredations  at  length  became 
so  great  that  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  withdraw  the 
poney  express  for  a  time  and  run  stages  only  as  occasion 
demanded,  until  the  Indians  could  be  punished  and  made 
to  abandon  their  robberies  and  murders. 

The  condition  of  the  country  along  the  North  Platte 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL. 


267 


had  become  so  dangerous  that  it  was  next  to  impossible 
for  the  Overland  Stage  Company  to  hire  stage  drivers, 
although  very  high  wages  were  offered. 

Billy,  now  being  out  of  employment  as  a  rider,  prof- 
fered his  services  as  a  stage-driver,  which,  notwithstand- 
ing his  youth,  were  gladly  accepted.  Directly  after  be- 
ginning this  hazardous  occupation  he  met  with  an  adven 


The  Attack  on  the  Stage  Coach. 

ture,  which,  though  it  may  not  have  given  him  a  genuine 
fright,  certainly  did  not  contribute  any  to  his  estimation 
pf  the  good  times  on  the  plains. 

While  driving  a  stage  between  Split  Rock  and  Three 
Crossings  he  was  suddenly  set  upon  by  about  five  hun- 
dred Sioux  whose  arms,  fortunately,  consisted  only  of 
bows  and  arrows.  Lieut.  Flowers,  a  brave  fellow  who 
was  then  acting  as  assistant  division  agent,  sat  on  the 


HBBOES  or  THE  PLAINS. 

"boot"  beside  Billy,  and  the  stage  was  occupied 
by  half  a  dozen  well  armed  passengers.  A  terrible  fight 
ensued,  which  for  a  time  seemed  to  threaten  certain  de- 
struction to  the  occupants  of  the  vehicle.  Billy  gave  the 
horses  tke  line  while  Lieut.  Flowers  applied  the  whip, 
leaving  the  passengers  to  look  to  the  defence.  Arrows 
fell  around  and  struck  the  stage  like  hail,  piercing  the 
sides,  striking  the  horses  and  dealing  destruction  gener- 
ally. Two  of  the  passengers  were  killed  and  Lieut.  Flow^ 
ers  was  badly  wounded  in  the  shoulder.  Billy  grabbed 
the  whip  from  the  wounded  officer  and  kept  applying  it 
briskly,  shouting  defiance  in  the  meantime  to  his  pursu- 
ers, and  succeeded  in  driving  into  Three  Crossings  with- 
out further  damage. 

This  last  trip  had  proved  so  disastrous  that  it  was  de^ 
termined  by  the  stage  company  not  to  rely  any  longer  on 
the  U.  S.  troops  stationed  at  various  posts  in  the  West, 
but  to  use  their  own  volunteer  employes  in  an  administra^ 
tion  of  frontier  vengeance  on  the  murderous  Indians. 
To  accomplish  this,  requests  for  volunteers  were  made, 
which  found  response  in  all  the  men  communicated  with, 
about  fifty  in  number.  This  force  was  placed  under 
charge  of  Wild  Bill  and  was  accompanied  by  Billy.  The 
expedition  moved  swiftly  into  the  enemy's  country  as  far 
as  Clear  Creek  where  the  Indians  were  found  encamped, 
unconscious  of  any  lurking  danger. 

Waiting  until  nightfall  the  impetuous  stage  employes 
descended  upon  the  hostiles,  charging  through  their  camp 
with  revolvers  in  hand.  As  the  astonished  Indians  poured 
out  of  their  wigwams  they  were  met  by  a  furious  firs 
which  literally  swept  up  the  entire  camp,  leaving  scores 
of  dead  Indians  around  the  smouldering  fires  and  causing 
those  that  escaped  the  revolver  to  flee  precipitately  to  the 
hills  and  hollows,  where,  owing  to  the  darkness,  they 
eould  not  be  followed. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL 


The  expedition  was  a  complete  success,  for  besides  so 
severely  punishing  the  hostiles,  about  two  hundred  head 
of  horses  were  captured  and  brought  safely  to  Sweetwa- 
tar  Bridge. 


CHAPTEE  VH. 

BILLY  having  performed  such  excellent  services  for  the 
Express  Company,  upon  his  return  from  the  Clear  Creek 
expedition  Alf.  Slade  tendered  him  the  position  of 
"  extra,"  in  which  he  was  required  to  ride  pony-express 
only  during  the  times  when  an  extra  man  was  needed, 
which  was  so  seldom  that  more  than  two-thirds  of  his 
time  was  unoccupied  save  as  he  himself  chose  to  employ 
it.  His  pay,  however,  remained  the  same  as  that  re- 
ceived by  the  regular  riders. 

Located  at  Horse  Shoe,  in  the  center  of  a  country 
abounding  with  large  game,  it  was  here  that  Billy  first 
developed  a  desire  for  hunting,  and  by  the  constant  use 
of  firearms  thereafter  became  the  best  rifle  and  pistol 
shot,  as  he  confessedly  is,  of  America  to-day.  The  only 
competitor  he  acknowledged  in  the  use  of  a  pistol  in 
1876  was  Wild  Bill,  whose  superior  perhaps  never  lived, 
and  when  that  wonderful  scout,  guide  and  spy  was  assas- 
sinated there  were  none,  and  are  none  now,  to  dispute 
with  Buffalo  Bill  the  honors  of  superior  marksmanship. 

On  one  occasion,  during  the  period  of  comparative 
idleness,  Billy  concluded  to  go  upon  a  bear  hunt,  large 
numbers  of  bear  being  readily  found  in  the  adjacent 
hills.  So,  saddling  his  horse  and  taking  a  large  rifle  and 
fcwo  revolvers  with  him,  he  departed  early  in  the  mom> 
}ng  and  proceeded  up  the  Horseshoe  Valley.  An  abund- 


270  HEEOES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

ance  of  smaller  game,  such  as  antelope,  sage-hens  and 
jack  rabbits,  were  constantly  passing  within  gun-shot, 
but  of  these  he  had  already  killed  great  numbers,  and 
consequently  they  were  now  left  unmolested. 

Late  in  the  evening,  having  as  yet,  found  no  bear, 
Billy  decided  to  camp  and  renew  his  hunt  on  the  mor- 
row, rather  than  return  without  some  trophy  of  his  suc- 
cess as  a  bear  hunter. 

After  building  a  fire  he  shot  two  sage-hens  for  supper, 
but  just  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  picking  one  of  the  birds 
a  horse's  whinney  was  heard  further  up  the  mountain- 
side, which  gave  him  serious  apprehensions.  Scattering 
the  fire-brands  he  secreted  his  horse  and  went  upon  a 
tour  of  investigation  to  discover  the  character  of  his 
neighbors. 

It  had  now  grown  quite  late,  so  that  the  gathering 
darkness  gave  some  secrecy  to  his  movements,  and  ap- 
proaching cautiously  the  spot  indicated  by  the  horse's 
signal,  he  soon  discovered  a  dug-out,  and  several  horses 
tethered  about  the  abode.  Approaching  still  nearer  he 
heard  the  voices  of  several  persons  inside,  conversing  in 
a  familiar  tongue,  so  that  he  at  once  concluded  they 
were  trappers  or  hunters,  and  being  white  men,  of  course 
friends. 

Advancing  to  the  door  of  the  dug-out,  Billy  rapped  on 
the  puncheon  entrance  and  received  in  reply  the  chal- 
lenge : 

'« Who's  thar?" 

"A  white  friend,"  Billy  replied. 

At  this  the  door  was  opened  and  by  the  light  of  a  large 
fire  blazing  on  the  ample  hearth,  there  was  disclosed  to 
his  astonished  gaze  eight  characters  whose  faces  would 
have  been  an  admirable  study  for  the  horrible-loving 
Dore.  It  was  not  only  villainy  pictured  on  their  fea- 


&IFE    OF   BUFFALO    BILL 


271 


tares,  but  an  iniquity  of  human  nature  which  migtit  find 
comparison  only  in  the  darkest  caverns  of  Hades,  wherein 
sit  the  most  hideous  deformities  of  vicious  wickedness. 


Long,  grizzled  beards,  blearing  eyes,  flaring  and  beaked 
noses,  mouths  like  caves  of  despair,  dark  complexions, 
massive  forms  and  bell-mouthed,  deep,  portentious  voice*. 


HEROES    OF   ?HE   PLAINS. 

Two  of  these  faces  Billy  had  seen  before  and  knew 
they  were  worn  by  men  discharged  from  the  employ  of 
the  Overland  Stage  Company ;  further  than  this,  intui- 
tion admonished  him  that  he  had  struck  a  den  of  horse- 
thieves. 

"  Come  in,  don't  be  back'ard,"  was  the  invitation  ex- 
tended, arid  appreciating  the  situation  Billy  had  to  appear 
at  ease  in  order  to  conceal  his  real  anxiety. 

"  Whar  're  you  from,  and  who's  with  you?" 

"  Oh,  I'm  from  down  the  country ;  been  a  bear  hunt- 
ing by  myself  and  hearing  the  whinneying  of  one  of  your 
horses  as  I  was  going  into  camp  for  the  night,  thought 
I'd  see  who  was  around  ;  so  here  I  am." 

Billy  delivered  his  information  in  a  most  unconcerned 
manner,  though  he  could  see  serious  trouble  ahead  un- 
less he  could  get  out  of  the  thieves'  clutches  by  some 
strategy. 

"Well,  whar's  your  hoss?' 

"I  left  him  tied  right  down  here  a  few  hundred  yards, 
where  I  was  camping.  If  you  don't  object  I'll  leave  my 
gun  here  and  go  back  and  bring  him  up,  for  I  prefer 
company  and  would  like  to  stay  with  you  to-night." 

The  cunning  of  this  speech  could  not  have  been  sur- 
passed by  the  oldest  strategist  in  a  frontier  settlement. 
Parting  with  the  gun  Billy  esteemed  a  small  sacrifice  if  by 
»o  doing  he  could  save  himself  and  horse. 

But  the  scheme,  though  never  so  clever,  did  not  suc- 
ceed as  the  youthful  hunter  expected.  Two  of  the  vil- 
lains at  once  proffered  their  services  to  accompany  him 
and  assist  in  bringing  the  horse  to  the  dug-out. 

This  social  proposition  took  away  at  least  two-thirds 
of  Billy's  nerve,  but  he  had  to  consent,  and  the  three 
started  oJ¥,  going  directly  to  th«  boy's  cairqHng  place 
and  securing  the  horse* 


LIFE    OF    BUFFALO    BILL.  273 

61  There  are  a  couple  of  sage-hens  by  the  fire,  which  I 
vras  preparing  to  cook  when  I  heard  your  horse  nicker ; 
I  guess  I'll  take  them  along  for  our  supper.'' 

Thus  speaking,  Billy  picked  up  the  birds,  and  then  the 
thieves  led  off,  leading  the  boy's  horse,  toward  their  den. 

Billy  fully  realized  the  danger  of  his  situation  and 
knew  that  the  adoption  of  some  desperate  expedient 
could  alone  save  him  from  a  terrible  fate,  for  the  thieves 
would  certainly  kill  him  rather  than  permit  his  escape 
and  the  certainty  of  his  giving  information  of  their  ren- 
dezvous. So  after  debating  with  himself  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, he  decided  upon  a  plan  which  was  put  into  imme- 
diate execution.  Purposely,  and  yet  as  though  by  acci- 
dent, he  dropped  one  of  the  sage-hens,  and  in  picking  it 
up  so  managed  as  to  let  his  two  villainous  companions 
get  slightly  ahead.  Quick  as  lightning  he  struck  one  of 
the  thieves  a  stunning  blow  from  behind  with  the  butt  of 
his  heavy  pistol,  and  as  the  other  turned  about  to  help 
his  companion  Billy  shot  him  dead.  Grabbing  his  horse, 
he  leaped  into  the  saddle  and  fled  back  down  the  moun- 
tain. The  way,  however,  was  so  rugged,  abounding  in 
large  stones  and  brush,  that  his  progress  was  very  slow. 

The  shot  was  heard  by  the  robbers  in  the  dug-out,  and 
they  hurried  down  to  discover  the  cause.  Coming  upon 
the  spot,  they  found  a  dead  companion,  and  the  one  that 
was  knocked  down  had  sufficently  recovered  to  explain 
the  attack. 

Pursuit  was  begun  at  once,  and  as  the  thieves  could 
travel  much  faster  than  Billy  on  horseback,  contending 
with  the  obstacles  of  a  mountain  descent,  they  soon  ap- 
proached so  close  that  the  brave  boy  leaped  from  hk 
horse,  giving  the  animal  a  smart  stroke  on  the  quarter 
which  sent  him  scrambling  on,  whil«  Billy  secreted  him- 
self behind  a  large  tree,  where  the  villains  soon  passed 


274  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS 

him  in  their  pursuit  of  the  fleeing  horse.  A  few  momenta 
later  the  shots  from  their  revolvers  convinced  Billy  that 
his  pursuers  believed  they  were  still  on  his  track,  and 
hoped  either  to  disable  the  horse  or  kill  him  in  the  sad- 
dle. When  the  sounds  of  the  pursuit  had  died  away 
he  abandoned  the  sheltering  tree  and  set  off  with  all 
possible  speed  for  Horse-Shoe,  which  he  reached  in  an  ex- 
hausted and  almost  famished  condition  after  twelve  hours 
hard  travel. 

Eeporting  the  particulars  of  his  adventure  to  Slade,  a 
party  of  ten  was  made  up  at  once,  headed  by  Slade  him< 
self  and  guided  by  Billy,  to  go  in  pursuit  of  the  thieves. 
A  rapid  travel  of  six  hours  brought  them  to  the  scene  of 
conflict,  where  a  new-made  grave  was  found  which  covered 
Billy's  victim,  but  upon  reaching  the  dug-out  they  found 
that  place  abandoned  and  nothing  left  to  indicate  an  in- 
tended return.  After  trying  in  vain  to  find  the  trail,  the 
party  abandoned  the  idea  of  catching  the  robbers  and  re- 
turned to  Horse-Shoe.  Billy  was  complimented  in  a  most 
deserving  way  for  the  cunning  and  bravery  he  displayed 
in  eluding  the  thieves,  and  especially  for  expending  a  pis- 
tol cathartic  on  one  of  the  number. 

Directly  after  this  incident  he  was  put  on  the  road  again 
as  express  rider,  his  alternate  being  Wild  Bill.  These 
two  rode  between  Three  Crossings  and  Eed  Buttes,  mak- 
ing better  time  than  any  other  riders  ever  on  the  road. 
Both,  however,  had  grown  so  rapidly  that  their  weight 
exceeded  the  limit  required  by  the  express  company,  and 
on  this  account  they  were  discharged.  But  after  a  thirty 
days'  experiment  the  company  found  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  get  other  riders  who  could  make  the  time,  so  thai 
Billy  and  his  particular  friend,  Wild  Bill,  were  again  em- 
ployed, riding  under  an  exception  to  the  general  order. 
Here  they  remained  until  the  tocsin  of  civil  war  summoned 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO  BILL  275 

brave  hearts  to  the  front  and  changed  nearly  eyeiy  man's 
occupatioa. 


CHAPTER 


MUCH  excitement  having  been  created  in  eastern  Kan- 
sas by  the  Ft.  Sumpter  attack,  and  also  learning  of  his 
mother's  general  ill  health,  these  two  causes  induced 
Billy  to  give  up  his  position  as  an  express  rider  and  hurry 
home.  Mrs,  Cody  entertained  strong  Union  sentiments, 
being  greatly  influenced  therein  by  the  outrages  she  had 
been  compelled  to  endure  at  the  hands  of  pro-slavery 
men,  all  of  whom  were  now  pronounced  Southern  sympa- 
thizers on  account  of  the  slavery  issue. 

A  number  of  Free-State  men  who  had  suffered  perse- 
cution from  Missouri  pro-slavery  incursionists,  concluded 
that  the  inauguration  of  war,  involving  much  of  the  issue 
that  had  been  fought  out  between  Kansas  and  Missouri, 
gave  them  license  to  cross  the  slave  State  border  for  re- 
taliatory purposes  .  In  pursuance  of  this  conclusion  Capt. 
Chandler  enlisted  twenty-five  men,  Billy  being  one  of  the 
number,  to  invade  Missouri  and  capture  promising  horses. 
This  design,  though  having  some  of  the  appearances  of 
a  criminal  purpose,  cannot  affect  Buffalo  Bill's  honor 
now  for  several  reasons,  chief  among  which  was  the  very 
strong  feeling  that  existed  among  the  Free-State  people 
of  Kansas  against  the  Pro-Slavery  party  of  Missouri. 
No  family  ever  suffered  more  from  iniquitous  mobs  than 
the  Cody  family  ;  robbed  time  and  again  ;  insulted  day 
after  day;  Mr.  Cody  foully  murdered;  their  stock 
driven  off;  maturing  crops  devastated  and  suffering 


276  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

everj  conceivable  outrage,  it  was  not  only  natural  bul 
proper  that  the  remaining  members  of  the  Cody  family 
should  regard  retaliation  as  righteous.  Further  thaw 
this,  Billy  was  young  in  years  and  influenced  by  the  spe- 
cious representations  of  Chandler  who  gave  to  his  intended 
acts  all  the  color  of  law  and  justice  ;  these  several  considera- 
tions moved  him  to  become  a  member  of  this  independ' 
ent  band  and  share  alike  its  fortunes  and  reverses. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July,  according  to  a  preconcerted 
arrangement,  Chandler's  company  met  at  Westport, 
Missouri ,  and  having  received  their  orders  every  man 
went  upon  a  forage  through  the  neighborhood,  returning 
at  night  with  nearly  fifty  head  of  first-class  horses,  taken 
promiscuously  from  people  in  Jackson  county.  After 
this  bold  confiscation  the  company  made  their  way  over 
into  Kansas  at  Wyandotte  where  the  party  separated 
with  an  agreement  to  meet  again  at  the  expiration  of  one 
week  in  Leaven  worth. 

After  two  or  three  similar  incursions  the  government 
took  a  part  in  the  suppression  of  the  enterprise,  and  Mrs. 
Cody  learning  the  true  nature  of  the  forays  counseled 
with  Billy  against  lending  his  aid  to  such  undertakings  j 
admonishing  him  that  the  occupation  was  dishonorable 
and  he  must  abandon  it.  This  kind  and  excellent  advice 
served  to  enlighten  him  as  to  the  demerits  of  such  retali- 
ation and  he  refused  to  accompany  subsequent  expe- 
ditions. 

Later  in  the  fall  he  earned  dispatches  between 
Leavenworth  and  Ft.  Larned,  Kansas,  and  afterward 
assisted  George  Long  in  purchasing  horses  for  the 
government.  Succeeding  this  employment  he  became  a 
member  of  Capt.  Tuff's  Red  Legged  Scouts,  which  was  a 
company  composed  exclusively  of  scouts  and  well-known 
irontier  characters.  This  organization  did  most  effective 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO  BILL.  277 

service  in  the  protection  of  Kansas  and  fighting  the  bor- 
der guerrillas.  When  not  in  active  duty  on  the  field  they 
were  employed  in  carrying  military  dispatches  between 
Forts  Leavenworth,  Lamed,  Gibson  and  Dodge. 

In  the  spring  of  1863  Billy  was  engaged  to  conduct  a 
merchant  train  from  Leavenworth  to  Denver,  which  being 
conducted  through  safely,  he  received  a  letter  on  the  day 
of  his  arrival  there  informing  him  of  the  serious  illness  of 
his  mother.  Instantly  he  saddled  his  horse  and  made  all 
possible  speed  homeward,  riding  almost  day  and  night 
until  he  reached  the  bedsid  s  of  his  beloved  parent.  He 
was  deeply  distressed  to  find  his  mother  quite  ill,  but  not 
so  ill  as  to  banish  hope  for  her  recovery.  But  her  sick- 
ness gave  him  such  anxiety  that  he  refused  to  leave 
home,  remaining  to  minister  to  her  comfort  and  necessi- 
ties. When  the  cold  winds  and  sudden  changes  of  fall 
ushered  in  the  new  season,  Mrs.  Cody  gradually  grew 
worse  despite  the  most  unremitting  care,  and  on  the  22d 
day  of  November  she  died. 

Billy  could  find  nothing  to  console  him  for  the  loss  of 
a  parent  so  well  beloved  ;  there  was  a  void  in  his  nature 
which  no  engagement  could  fill ;  aimlessly  he  wandered 
about  the  old  homestead  with  the  face  of  his  dead 
mother,  pale  and  pitiful,  ever  before  his  confused  eyes  ; 
there,  before  him,  were  her  noble  acts  ;  her  brave,  self- 
sacrificing  disposition,  the  source  from  whence  he  drew 
the  very  nourishment  of  his  existence,  the  goodly  counsel 
that  made  his  manhood.  How  many  tears  he  shed  over 
her  grave ;  how  many  fresh  flowers  he  planted  in  the 
coming  spring  ;  how  many  hours  he  spent  beside  her  last 
earthly  resting  place  and  bedewed  it  with  copious  offer- 
ings welling  up  from  the  springs  of  his  heart !  There, 
under  the  prairie  sod,  >»  here  the  winds  gambol  ceaselessly 
with  waving  grasses  and  spontaneous  flowers  ;  under  the 


278  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

branches  of  a  tree  planted  by  the  hands  that  once  carried 
water  to  her  feverish  lips  and  were  clasped  with  hers  in 
prayer,  sleeps  a  pioneer's  wife  and  a  true  hero's  mother ; 
waiting  the  judgment  day  ;  waiting  that  last  reunion  and 
forgetting  the  sorrowful  experiences  of  this  eventful  life. 

The  family,  bereft  of  a  mother,  was  not  separated,  for 
one  of  Billy's  sisters  having  been  married  in  the  early 
part  of  the  preceding  spring,  her  husband  settled  on  the 
homestead  and  kept  the  sisters  of  the  family  together. 
But  Billy  was  now  doubly  anxious  to  do  something  that 
would  divert  his  mind  from  the  loss  which  gave  him  such 
heart-breaking  grief ;  and  yet  there  seemed  to  be  some- 
strange  influence  trying  to  hold  him  near  the  sacred  earth 
which  enclosed  the  remains  of  his  soul's  affection. 

Some  weeks  after  this  most  melancholy  incident  Billy 
went  to  Leavenworth  and  there  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life,  acting  under  the  false  impression  that  inebriety 
would  mitigate  his  grief,  deliberately  drank  to  excess  and 
naturally  fell  among  wicked  and  depraved  characters. 
While  on  a  protracted  spree  and  unconscious  of  what  he 
was  doing,  he  joined  Jennison's  Seventh  Kansas  Jay- 
hawkers,  which  had  recently  been  organized  for  operation 
in  Missouri,  but  they  were  soon  called  upon  to  perform 
some  hard  service  in  Tennessee  and  Mississippi. 

In  the  spring  of  1864,  Billy  moved  with  his  regiment 
to  Memphis  and  from  there  to  Tupelo,  Miss.,  where,  Gen. 
A.  J.  Smith  having  command,  he  participated  in  a  hard 
fought  battle  with  Gen.  Forrest,  the  Confederates  being 
badly  whipped.  After  some  skirmishing  in  Mississippi, 
Billy's  regiment  was  ordered  back  to  Missouri,  entering 
the  State  at  Cape  Girardeau.  The  Confederate  General 
Price  had  just  entered  upon  his  great  raid  in  Missouri, 
and  Jennison's  regiment  was  ordered  to  push  forward 
and  either  intercept  the  enemy  or  harass  his  rear  until 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO    BILL.  279 

Gen.  Curtis  could  operate  in  conjunction  with  Gen. 
Smith. 

The  courage,  cunning  and  woodcraft  displayed  by 
Billy  had  not  escaped  the  soldierly  eye  of  Gen.  Smith, 
and  as  brave  and  strictly  reliable  men  were  now  urgently 
needed,  he  was  made  a  non-commissioned  officer  and 
placed  on  detached  service  as  scout.  In  this  position  he 
did  not  conime  himself  to  the  usual  duties  of  scout,  but 
voluntarily  performed  the  additional  and  more  dangerous 
service  of  spy,  for  which  he  was  well  qualified.  Serving 
in  this  double  capacity  he  obtained  much  valuable  in- 
formation and  soon  became  the  pride  of  Gen.  Smith's 
corps,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  general  utility 
men  in  the  whole  army,  never  hesitating  to  perform  a 
service  however  great  the  danger  might  be. 

While  riding  through  Southern  Missouri  an  incident 
occurred  which  well  illustrates  the  magnanimity  of  his 
character.  Being  more  than  a  mile  in  advance  of  the 
command,  he  came  to  a  thrifty  appearing  farm-house  at 
which  he  alighted  for  a  drink  of  water.  The  only  occu- 
pants of  the  house  at  the  time  were  an  elegant  elderly 
lady  and  her  beautiful  daughter.  These  two  ladies  were 
at  first  very  much  frightened  at  the  appearance  of  a  Yan- 
kee, but  nevertheless  exhibited  their  courteous  dispo- 
sitions by  giving  him  water  and  setting  out  a  chair  with 
genuine  hospitality,  in  which  they  asked  him  to  rest. 
The  elderly  lady,  in  questioning  Billy  concerning  the  Union 
forces,  was  informed  that  the  army  was  now  less  than 
one  mile  off  and  would  soon  march  past  the  house.  At 
this  much  fear  was  entertained  and  expressed  by  the 
ladies  lest  the  soldiers  should  sack  the  premises  and  do 
violence  to  the  place,  knowing  they  were  in  an  enemy' si 
country.  But  he  quieted  their  solicitude  by  begging 
them  to  be  unconcerned,  as  he  would  see  that  they  were 
not  molested. 

17 


280  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

As  the  army  came  up,  preceded  by  the  commander  and 
staff  officers,  Billy  placed  himself  at  the  entrance  of  the 
house  to  act  as  sentry  and  guard  to  protect  the  premises. 
A  moment  later  several  soldiers  attempted  to  enter,  but  he 
ordered  them  to  stop ,  declaring  at  the  same  time  that  he 
had  been  placed  there  to  protect  that  property  from  mo- 
lestation. Not  doubting  his  authority  the  soldiers  pass- 
ed on  and  not  a  thing  was  taken  from  the  place. 

The  ladies  felt  so  grateful  to  their  protector  that  they 
prepared  an  excellent  dinner  for  him,  to  which  his  hunger 
was  paying  tribute  when  suddenly  three  men  sprang  into 
the  house  and  leveled  their  guns  at  him. 

"  Hold  on;  don't  hurt  this  gentleman;  he  is  our 
friend  !"  cried  the  ladies  to  the  three  men,  who  were  the 
husband  and  two  brothers  of  the  family. 

The  guns  were  immediately  lowered  and  when  the  situ- 
ation had  been  explained  to  them  each  of  the  men  shook 
Billy  warmly  by  the  hand  and  thanked  him  heartily  for 
his  kind  interference.  The  dinner  being  concluded  under 
the  happiest  circumstances,  Billy  bade  adieu  to  the  family 
and  by  fast  riding  soon  overtook  the  command. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

YOUNG  Cody  remained  with  the  army  in  Missouri,  en- 
gaging in  the  conflicts  between  the  Union  forces  and  Gen. 
Price  until  the  winter  of  1864-5  put  an  end  to  the  military 
operations  and  both  armies  went  into  winter  quarters. 
During  this  period  of  inactivity  Billy  visited  St.  Louis 
and  by  good  luck  was  detailed  for  special  service  at  head- 
quarters. 


E    OF   BUFFALO 


Winter  is  always  a  gay  season  itt  tliC  (Sty  \vitli  its  ti5- 
atres,  balls,  society  gatherings,  sleigh-riding  and  various 
recreative  sports,  and  Billy  being  of  a  most  entertaining 
and  jovial  character  was  very  soon  introduced  to  many 
charming  ladies  of  St.  Louis  society.  Among  the  large 
number  of  elegant  and  beautiful  girls  whose  acquaintance 
he  made  was  one  specially  attractive  to  him,  she  being 
the  center  of  a  large  group  of  admirers,  all  of  whom  were 
striving  for  the  honor  of  her  smiles  and  preference.  The 
young  lady's  name  was  Louisa  Frederici,  and  she  was  the 
daughter  of  an  old  and  influential  citizen.  Not  only  was 
she  well  connected  and  a  lady  of  most  admirable 
character,  but  she  also  possessed  a  beauty  of  face  and 
perfection  of  form  which  were  well  nigh  irresistible  ; 
large,  lustrous,  brown  eyes,  beautifully  arched  with  ele- 
gant brows  ;  skin  fair  as  the  lily,  a  mouth  which  seemed  to 
invite  kisses,  and  hair  prof  use  as  a  Naiad's  and  black  as  a 
raven's  wing. 

It  is  only  proper  to  say  that  the  first  time  Billy  met 
the  beautiful  Louisa  he  fell  in  love  too  deep  to  ever  hope 
for  escape.  But  always  a  man  of  fortunate  circumstances, 
his  good  luck  did  not  forsake  him  in  his  love-making.  It 
is  unusual  to  descant  upon  the  beauty  of  a  man,  but  I 
will  not  be  charged  with  hypercritical  enthusiasm  when  I 
say  that  Billy  was  then,  as  he  is  now,  certainly  one  of  the 
handsomest  men  in  America,  a  claim  which  I  am  sure  all 
the  ladies  will  maintain,  gathering  their  opinion  from  the 
portrait  given  of  him  in  this  book.  Miss  Louisa  thought 
she  had  never  met  a  finer-appearing  gentleman,  and  to  say 
that  Billy's  all-absorbing  affection  was  reciprocated  is 
but  to  declare  what  the  sequel  proved. 

Before  the  winter  expired  he  had  made  a  frank  ac- 
knowledgment of  his  love  and  elicited  a  response  which 
led  to  an  engagement,  but  while  overjoyed  at  his  excel- 


282  HEROES  or  THE  PLAINS. 

lent  success  he  realized  that  he  was  illy  prepared  to  take 
care  of  a  wife  just  then ;  so  without  fixing  the  date  for 
their  marriage  the  lover  went  back  to  his  duties  and  re- 
mained with  his  command  until  the  war  closed.  He  then 
accepted  the  situation  of  stage  driver  proffered  him  by 
Bill  Trotter,  who  was  agent  for  that  division  of  the  road 
between  Kearney  and  Plum  Creek,  the  route  which  led 
over  the  same  ground  where  Billy  killed  his  first  Indian. 

He  continued  to  drive  the  stage  until  he  had  saved  up 
several  hundred  dollars,  and  feeling  now  that  he  was  in 
proper  position  for  a  consummation  of  his  great  desire, 
returned  to  St.  Louis,  where,  on  the  6th  of  March,  1866, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Frederici,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  at  the  bride's  residence  before  a  large  assem- 
blage of  friends. 

After  receiving  many  congratulations,  the  couple  tool^ 
passage  on  a  Missouri  river  steamer  for  Kansas,  whiclj 
was  to  be  their  home. 

During  the  bridal  trip  Billy  was  recognized  by  three  o\ 
four  passengers  who  had  been  pro-slavery  men  before  th< 
war  and  Southern  sympathizers  throughout  that  event 
ful  period.  Hate  and  vengeance  still  rankled  in  theii 
bosoms,  and  though  afraid  themselves  to  attack  the 
brave  young  Benedict,  they  found  means  to  commu- 
nicate with  some  of  their  guerrilla  friends  that  Bill  Cody, 
the  scout  and  fighter,  was  on  board  and  might  fall  an 
easy  prey  to  them. 

When  the  steamer  landed  at  a  desolate  point  on  the 
river  seventy-five  miles  west  of  Lexington,  to  take  on  a 
fresh  supply  of  wood,  more  than  a  dozen  guerrillas  ap- 
peared on  the  bank  and  tried  to  board  the  boat,  but  the 
captain  frustrated  their  designs  by  ordering  the  stage- 
plank  drawn  in  and  then  backing  the  steamer  out  before 
the  guerrillas  could  gain  the  deck.  Several  shots  were 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  283 

fired  at  the  boat,  but  no  special  damage  resulted.  Billy 
had  anticipated  trouble,  owing  to  remarks  he  had  over- 
heard from  a  party  that  had  engaged  passage  at  Lexing- 
ton, and  when  the  guerrillas  appeared  on  the  bank,  in- 
stead of  keeping  himself  close  in  his  stateroom,  he  took 
a  position  at  the  head  of  the  cabin  stairs,  and  with  a 
pistol  in  each  hand,  stood  unconcernedly  waiting  for  the 
approach  of  his  enemies.  Had  they  succeeded  in  getting 
on  board  there  would  have  been  one  of  the  liveliest  fights 
since  Wild  Bill  met  the  McCandlas  gang. 

When  Cody  and  his  beautiful  bride  reached  Leaven- 
worth  they  were  met  at  the  landing  by  a  long  Kne  of 
carriages,  which  they  were  soon  apprised  contained 
nearly  a  hundred  of  his  friends,  who,  having  learned  of 
his  marriage  and  passage  on  the  steamer,  had  made  large 
preparations  to  give  him  a  grand  reception.  A  band  of 
music  headed  the  carriage  procession  and  the  party  were 
driven  directly  to  the  house  of  one  of  Billy's  married 
sisters,  where  the  day  and  evening  were  spent  in  a  truly 
Western  jollification,  feasting,  dancing  and  music,  the 
festivities  being  participated  in  by  the  best  society  of 
Leaven  worth,  among  whom  Billy  enjoyed  great  pop- 
ularity. 

Without  wasting  more  time  in  a  bridal  tour,  young 
Cody  went  to  Salt  Creek  Valley,  where  he  rented  the 
house  once  occupied  by  his  mother,  and  established  a 
hotel  known  as  the  Golden  Kule  House,  which  he  con- 
ducted with  profit  until  the  following  September,  when 
his  old  desire  for  the  freedom  and  stirring  adventures  of 
the  plains  induced  him  to  sell  out  and  seek  employment 
as  a  scout. 

At  this  time  the  Kansas  Pacific  railroad  was  in  process 
of  construction  and  had  reached  a  point  as  far  west  as 
Salina,  which  had  become  an  active  place,  and  thither 


284  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAIHS. 

Billy  directed  Ms  way.  Beaching  Junction  City,  he  met 
Wild  Bill,  who  was  then  scouting  for  the  government, 
with  headquarters  at  Fort  Ellsworth  (Fort  Harker). 
By  advice  of  the  latter  he  proceeded  to  the  post  at  Ells- 
worth, where  his  application  for  the  position  of  scout  was 
favorably  received  and  he  at  once  went  on  duty. 

While  scouting  and  guiding  parties  between  Fts.  Ells- 
worth and  Fletcher,  in  which  service  he  was  employed 
for  a  period  of  several  months,  he  met  Gen.  Ouster,  who 
had  been  ordered  to  accompany  Gen.  Hancock  on  an  In- 
dian campaign.  Ouster,  with  ten  men,  was  at  Ellsworth 
and  desired  a  guide  to  conduct  him  to  Ft.  Lamed,  a  dis- 
tance of  sixty-five  miles.  Cody  was  selected  by  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  post  to  accompany  the  General, 
who  was  to  start  on  the  following  day.  When  the  time 
for  departure  arrived  Cody  appeared  riding  a  small, 
mouse-colored  mule  while  Gen.  Custer  and  his  escort 
were  mounted  on  fine,  high-mettled  steeds  that  were 
champing  their  bits  with  impatience  to  be  off.  Geu. 
Custer  laughed  heartily  at  the  scout's  sorry-looking  pal- 
frey and  declared  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  "  lit- 
tle mouse"  to  travel  as  rapidly  as  he  wished.  Billy, 
however,  insisted  on  riding  the  mule,  and  after  a  few 
hours  of  fast  traveling  the  little  animal  began  to  show  its 
bottom  by  keeping  the  advance  and  at  length  put  so 
much  distance  between  him  and  the  fine  war  steeds  that 
Billy  had  to  rein  up  from  time  to  time  in  order  that  the 
General  might  overtake  him.  The  best  laugh,  therefore, 
was  with  him  who  laughed  last,  and  Custer  was  so  aston- 
ished that  he  wanted  to  trade  his  fine  horse  for  the  sorry 
little  mule,  for  with  Custer  the  chief  consideration  was 
rapid  travel  regardless  of  the  means  employed — but  he 
couldn't  get  the  mule. 

Billy's  social  disposition  and  contagious  good  humor 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  285 

won  the  admiration  of  Ouster,  who  expressed  much  anx- 
iety to  engage  his  services,  telling  him  that  a  position 
would  he  open  for  him  at  any  time  he  desired  to  join  the 
command.  The  friendship  thus  formed  was  cultivated 
in  after  years  and  was  intimate  until  the  pathetic  but 
heroic  death  of  that  singularly  brave  officer. 


CHAPTER  X. 

HAVING  guided  Gen.  Ouster  and  his  staff  to  Ft.  Lamed 
Cody,  on  his  return,  was  ordered  to  report  at  Ft. 
Hays.  About  this  time  a  large  band  of  Indians  had  at- 
tacked the  working  force  on  the  Kansas  Pacific  railroad 
and  besides  killing  six  men  they  had  driven  off  a  hundred 
head  of  horses  and  mules. 

Major  Ames  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  ( colored )  was  or- 
dered to  take  one  company  and  a  mountain  howitzer  and 
pursue  the  marauders.  Cody  was  selected  as  scout  and 
guide  to  the  expedition,  which  set  out  on  the  trail  leading 
along  the  Saline  river: . 

On  the  second  day  after  leaving  Hays  the  Indian  camp 
was  discovered  on  the  opposite  side  of  Saline  river  and 
preparations  were  hastily  made  for  the  attack.  An  oppor- 
tunity was  now  to  be  offered  for  the  colored  troops  to 
manifest  their  pluck,  a  large  amount  of  which  they  seem- 
ed to  carry  on  their  tongues  which  wagged  continually 
with  expressions  of  impatience  to  get  * '  turned  loose  on 
de  red  coyotes."  The  Howitzer  was  stationed  on  a 
knoll  overlooking  the  Indian  camp  and  placed  under  a 
guard  of  twenty  men,  while  the  main  portion  of  the  com- 
pany crossed  over  to  begin  the  attack.  Scarcely  had  the 


HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

crossing  been  made  when  a  terrible  yelling  was  heard  in 
the  rear,  and  upon  looking  back  Major  Ames  beheld  the 
colored  flower  of  his  army  fleeing  with  all  possible  haste, 
hatless  and  without  arms,  before  a  hundred  Indians  that 
had  charged  on  the  guard  and  were  now  dancing  around 
the  captured  howitzer.  Major  Ames  had  to  take  up  just 
a  little  of  the  precious  time  in  swearing  at  his  cowardly 
men  who  had  fled  at  the  approach  of  the  enemy  without 
firing  a  gun  ;  but  he  soon  ordered  a  charge  back  up  the 
knoll  and  easily  re-took  the  gun,  but  the  Major  was  bad- 
ly wounded  in  the  attack  and  the  command  thereafter 
practically  fell  on  Cody. 

There  were  more  Indians  than  had  been  anticipated,  and 
the  command  was  not  sufficient  to  cope  with  them  ;  so  af- 
ter a  hard  fight  of  about  two  hours  it  became  a  serious 
matter,  not  so  much  how  to  disperse  the  enemy  as  how  to 
manage  an  escape,  of  which  there  seemed  for  a  time 
small  probability.  A  retreat  was  begun  in  which  the 
colored  troops  unlimbered  themselves  in  fine  style,  mak' 
ing  good  progress  despite  the  dodging  they  practiced. 
Night  approached  at  last  like  a  generous  friend  and  by 
the  protection  the  darkness  afforded  about  one-half  the 
company  succeeded  in  reaching  Hays,  the  remainder  having 
fallen  victims  to  the  victorious  Indians,  who,  however,  had 
suffered  the  loss  of  a  goodly  number  of  their  warriors. 

Returning  from  a  decidedly  disastrous  expedition  Cody 
declared  that  he  never  wanted  to  go  "  hunting  Indians 
again  with  colored  poachers." 

From  Ft.  Hays  he  carried  dispatches  to  Ft.  Harker, 
and  having  nothing  special  to  engage  him  there,  he  vis- 
ited Ellsworth  where  Wild  Bill  still  made  his  headquar- 
ters. While  on  this  visit  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 
Western  character  named  William  Rose,  a  railroad  con- 
tractor and  a  man  of  many  schemes.  His  hobby  just  at 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  287 

this  particular  time  chanced  to  be  the  location  of  a  town, 
along  the  railroad,  in  which  he  expected  to  make  a  for- 
tune selling  corner  lots.  He  disclosed  his  enterprise  to 
Cody,  whom  he  knew  by  reputation,  as  did  every  other 
person  in  the  West,  and  the  matter  was  presented  with 
such  ingenious  argument  that  Billy  entered  into  the 
scheme  inflated  with  the  promises  of  the  undertaking. 
Accordingly  a  sight  was  selected  on  the  west  side  of  Big 
Creek,  one  mile  from  Ft.  Hays,  which  was  duly  laid  out 
into  blocks,  with  a  large  public  square  in  the  center,  the 
whole  being  handsomely  drawn  on  a  plat  of  gorgeous 
colors.  To  give  the  place  a  start  the  two  enterprising 
enthusiasts  built  the  first  house,  which  was  a  store,  and 
stocked  it  with  a  good  line  of  general  merchandise.  The 
town  was  then  duly  christened  "  Rome,"  because  the 
place  was  expected  to  "howl."  A  lot  was  donated  to 
uvery  one  who  would  erect  a  building  thereon  and  this 
generous  proposition  had  a  most  gratifying  effect,  for 
building  began  with  such  a  rush  that  in  one  month's 
time  there  were  two  hundred  frame  residences,  four 
stores,  and  about  twenty  saloons.  Lots  were  selling 
rapidly  for  fifty  dollars  each  and  things  were  swimmingly 
prosperous  with  the  firm  of  Cody  &  Rose.  Visions  of 
incalculable  riches  hung  before  their  delighted  imagina- 
tion and  happiness  was  pictured  by  an  approaching  abil- 
ity to  buy  up  the  country,  including  the  railroad  then 
under  construction.  Rome  was  howling !  But  just  as 
fche  dream  was  approaching  realization,  a  gentleman 
aamed  Webb — Dr.  Webb — stopped  in  town  and  enquir- 
faig  for  the  proprietors  of  .Rome,  was  directed  to  Cody  & 
Rose's  store,  where  he  found  the  two  gentlemen,  as 

,  figuring  their  prospective  gains. 
**  Got  a  booming  town  here  I  we,"  said  Dr.  Webb  by 
of  introduction. 


HEBOES   OF  TUX  FLA2VS. 

44  Yes,  got  the  best  town  now  and  the  biggest  city  here- 
after on  the  road.  Want  to  buy  some  lots?"  responded 
Cody. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  as  I  want  to  buy  any  lots,  but  I 
would  like  to  go  into  partnership  with  you." 

*  *  Partnership  !  why,  great  heavens ,  man,  we  don 't  want 
any  partners." 

"  I  thought  you  might  want  to  take  me  in  since  I  ain 
agent  for  the  K.  P.  road  sent  out  to  locate  towns  on  the 
route." 

"  That's  all  right,  but  we've  got  the  bulge  on  you  here 
and  can  take  care  of  this  town  by  ourselves." 

44  Well,  if  that's  your  decision,  I  guess  I' 11  have  to  start 
another  town  alongside  of  you  just  by  way  of  compete 
tion." 

On  the  following  day  Dr.  Webb  went  one  mile  west  of 
Rome  and  laid  out  a  town  which  he  named  Hays  City. 
But  Rome  being  altogether  better  situated  than  Hays  and 
having  such  an  admirable  beginning,  the  Doctor  made  a 
proposition  to  donate  two  lots  in  his  new  place  to  every 
one  who  would  erect  a  building  thereon,  and  in  addition 
to  this,  speakiu>g  as  if  by  authority  of  the  railroad  officials, 
he  made  the  announcement  that  the  company  intended  to 
locate  and  bu;1d  their  machine  shops,  round-house  and 
depot  at  Hays  City,  leaving  Rome  in  a  permanent  de- 
cline. 

These  flattering  representations  so  seriously  affected 
the  firm  of  Cody  &  Rose  that  during  the  next  few  days, 
when  they  saw  the  whole  town  of  Rome  either  on  rollers 
or  on  wagons  moving  over  to  Hays  City,  they  would  have 
closed  out  their  prospects  for  two  cents  and  a  half  on  the 
dollar — perhaps  much  less  even  than  that.  Very  soon 
the  two  dispirited  town-owners  were  sitting  in  front  of 
their  store,  now  the  sole  remaining  building  of  the  once 


LIFE   OF   BTTFFALO   BILL.  281 

flourishing  town  of  Rome,  contemplating  the  mutability 
of  human  expectation  ;  the  presto,  change  !  from  riches 
to  the  dull,  solemn  fact  of  comparative  poverty.  How 
many  times  they  said  to  themselves  and  to  each  other, 
"  Had  we  only  taken  Webb  in  as  a  partner  ! " 

However,  it  was  some  consolation  to  receive  from  their 
successful  rival  a  deed  to  four  of  the  best  lots  in  Hays, 
but  this  generous  and  balsamic  application  to  their 
wounded  anticipations  did  little  to  mitigate  their  feelings 
of  poverty. 

During  the  short  period  that  Rome  was  on  the  rise 
Billy  had  fitted  up  the  rear  part  of  his  store  and  occupied 
it  with  his  wife  and  infant  daughter,  Arta,  but  when  the 
bankrupting  hegira  to  Hays  City  set  in  Mrs.  Cody  paid  a 
visit  to  her  relations  in  St.  Louis,  where  she  remained  for 
some  time  and  until  a  comfortable  home  was  prepared 
for  her  at  Hays. 

Abandoning  all  hope  of  making  anything  out  of  town 
enterprises,  Cody  and  his  friend  Rose  took  a  sub-contract 
for  grading  five  miles  of  road  west  of  Big  Creek,  and 
while  prosecuting  this  work  Cody  came  into  possession 
of  a  horse  which  afterward  figured  conspicuously  in  his 
interesting  adventures.  As  Rose  thoroughly  understood 
railroad  contract  work  he  was  left  to  boss  the  men  while 
Billy  performed  an  equally  important  work,  furnishing 
them  with  meat.  To  procure  these  provisions  it  was 
necessary  to  hunt  almost  constantly,  relying  entirely  on 
buffaloes,  which  were  less  plentiful  in  that  section  than 
in  the  country  through  which  he  had  ridden  the  pony 
express. 

On  one  occasion  as  he  was  starting  out  on  his  favorite 
horse,  Old  Brigham  by  name,  he  saw  half  a  do^en  well- 
mounted  officers  approaching  from  Ft.  Hays,  who  were 
for  a  buffalo  hunt.  Billy  carried  with  him  a  breech- 


HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

loading  needle  gun  which  he  called  "  Lucretia  Borgia," 
an  excellent  weapon  ;  but  old  Brigham's  caparisons  con- 
sisted solely  of  an  ancient  blind  bridle.  To  the  officers, 
who  ascertained  that  Cody  was  also  out  after  buffaloes, 
this  "  outfit,"  a  sleepy,  angular,  old  horse,  without  sad- 
dle, bottle  or  other  accessories,  appeared  so  ridiculous 
that  they  accosted  him  : 

"  Young  man,  ain't  that  a  sorry  team  you're  driving? 
You  don't  expect  to  ride  down  any  buffaloes  with  an  old 
crow-bait  like  that,  do  you?" 

"Don't  know,  might  catch  up  with  the  calves  by 
pushing  hard  on  the  reins,"  answered  Billy. 

The  party  had  ridden  out  on  the  prairie  scarcely  two 
miles  when  they  discovered  a  herd  of  eleven  buffaloes 
making  rapidly  across  the  country  toward  a  branch 
of  Big  Creek.  The  well  mounted  officers  started  after 
the  game  with  all  the  speed  they  could  get  out  of  theii 
fine  horses,  expecting  to  run  the  buffaloes  down  within 
two  or  three  miles.  Instead  of  following  the  officers , 
Billy  pulled  the  reins  on  Old  Brigham,  who  uncoupled 
himself  in  fine  style,  and  struck  out  at  full  speed  on  a  dif- 
ferent course  from  that  pursued  by  the  other  party.  Cody 
knew  from  the  direction  and  speed  of  the  buffaloes  about 
the  point  they  would  strike  the  creek,  so  heading  for  an 
objective  point  he  struck  the  game  fully  a  mile  in  ad- 
vance of  the  officers.  Throwing  off  the  old  blind  bridle 
he  let  his  well-trained  horse  come  alongside  the  herd, 
and  when  he  would  shoot  a  buffalo  Brigham  would  run 
alongside  another,  and  working  thus  as  if  by  rule  Billy 
killed  the  entire  herd  in  twelve  shots  before  the  aston- 
ished officers  came  within  firing  distance. 

"  You  see,"  said  Cody,  as  the  well  mounted  amateur 
hunters  came  up  to  where  he  had  dismounted  and  was 
now  standing  by  his  unbridled  horse,  "  I  pushed  well  on 


LIFE   OF    BUFFALO   BILL.  291 

the  reins,  a  thing  which  you,  perhaps,  neglected  to  do. 
However,  as  I  have  got  all  the  game,  I  don't  want  you  to 
go  back  empty  handed,  so  just  help  yourselves  to  tongues 
and  tenderloins." 

The  superior  officer  in  the  squad  then  remarked  :  "  My 
name  is  Graham,  Captain  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry  ;  now  I 
want  to  know  your  name." 

'  '  Want  to  know  my  name  ?  Why,  it' s  nothing  but  Bill 
Cody." 

"Bill  Cody  I  that  they  call  Billy?  Good  gracious! 
I've  heard  of  you  more  than  of  any  other  man  in  the  West. 
Well,  I  am  truly  glad  to  see  you.  Let  me  introduce  you 
to  Lieutenants  Ezekiel,  Reed  and  Emmick,  they  all  be- 
long to  my  regiment." 

"  Glad  to  meet  you,  gentlemen,  for  I'm  something  of 
aft  army  man  myself." 

"  I  want  to  say,  Billy,  or  Mr.  Cody,  that  I  have  heard 
much  concerning  your  peculiar  qualifications  as  a  rider, 
hunter  and  fighter,  but  heretofore  I  have  been  inclined  to 
discredit  the  stories  told  of  you.  But  let  me  say  now, 
that  after  seeing  you  perform  the  remarkable  feat  of  kill- 
ing eleven  buffaloes  in  about  three  minutes,  fro  in  a  horse 
without  bridle  or  saddle,  that  I  am  prepared  to  believe  al- 
most anything." 

"  Why,  Captain,  that  is  no  trick  at  all  on  my  part,  for 
old  Brigham  (that's  my  horse's  name)  is  the  one  that  did 
the  hunting,  I  only  did  the  shooting." 

This  manner  of  conversation  continued  until  the  wagons 
gent  out  from  Billy 'scamp  came  up  to  haul  off  the  buffa- 
loes. But  before  separating  the  officers  extended  a  very 
cordial  invitation  to  Cody  to  visit  them  at  Ft.  Hays,  where 
they  expected  to  be  stationed  during  the  summer. 


292  HEROES  OF  THB  PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

completed  the  contract  for  grading  five  miles 
of  road-bed,  Billy  was  looking  for  another  engagement 
when  he  received  a  proposition  from  the  Goddard  Broth- 
ers, who  were  boarding  twelve  hundred  construction  em- 
ployes, to  furnish  them  with  meat.  The  amount  required 
was  five  buffaloes  per  day,  to  procure  which  involved 
hard  riding,  but  the  labor  was  small  compared  with  the 
danger  to  be  incurred  from  the  Indians  who  were  killing 
every  white  man  they  could  find  in  that  section.  Never- 
theless, an  offer  of  five  hundred  dollars  per  month  for  the 
service  made  Billy  unmindful  of  the  exertion  or  peril,  and 
he  went  to  work  under  contract  to  supply  all  the  meat 
required.  During  this  engagement  he  had  no  end  of  won- 
derful escapes  from  bands  of  Indians,  not  a  few  of  whom 
he  sacrificed  to  secure  his  own  safety.  By  actual  count 
he  also  killed,  under  his  contract  with  theXroddard  Broth- 
ers, four  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty  buffaloes.  To 
appreciate  the  extent  of  this  slaughter,  by  approximate 
measurement,  these  buffaloes,  if  laid  on  the  ground  end  to 
end,  would  make  a  line  more  than  five  miles  long,  and  if 
placed  sideways,  on  top  of  each  other,  they  would  make 
a  pile  over  two  miles  high. 

By  special  arrangements  all  the  heads  of  the  largest 
buffaloes  killed  by  Bill  were  preserved  and  delivered  to 
the  K.  P.  railroad  company,  by  which  they  were  turned 
into  excellent  advertisements  for  the  road.  Many  of 
these  heads  may  still  be  seen  in  prominent  places  marking 
the  center  of  an  oval  board  containing  the  advertisement 
of  the  road. 

So  well  had  Billy  performed  his  part  of  the  contract 
that  the  men  connected  with  the  Kansas  Pacific  road  gr  ve 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  295 

him  the  appellation  by  which  he  is  still  known  through- 
out the  world,  "  BUFFALO  BILL." 

A  record  of  all  his  battles  with  the  Indians  during  this 
period  of  professional  hunting  would  be  so  long  that  few 
could  read  it  without  tiring,  for  there  is  a  sameness 
connected  with  attacks  and  escapes  which  it  is  difficult  to 
recite  in  language  always  sparkling  with  interest.  But 
Buffalo  Bill  being  a  brave  man  under  all  circumstances 
when  bravery  is  essential,  and  cautious  when  that  element 
subserved  the  purpose  better,  was  almost  daily  in  a  posi- 
tion of  danger,  and  many  times  escaped  almost  like  the 
Hebrew  children  from  the  furnace. 

So  justly  celebrated  had  Buffalo  Bill  now  become  that 
Kit  Carson,  on  his  return  from  Washington  City  in  the  fall 
of  1867,  stopped  at  Hays  City  to  make  his  acquaintance. 
Carson  was  so  well  pleased  with  Bill's  appearance  and 
excellent  social  qualifications  that  he  remained  for  several 
days  the  guest  of  the  celebrated  buffalo  killer  and  scout. 
Upon  parting,  the  renowned  Kit  expressed  the  warmest 
admiration  for  his  host  and  conveyed  his  consideration 
by  inviting  Bill  to  visit  him  at  Fort  Lyon,  Colorado, 
where  he  intended  making  his  home.  But  the  death  of 
Carson  the  following  May  prevented  the  visit. 

Like  every  other  man  who  achieves  distinction  by  su- 
perior excellence  in  some  particular  calling,  Buffalo  Bill 
(who  had  now  shed  the  familiar  title  of  Billy),  had  his 
would-be  rivals  as  a  buffalo  killer.  Among  this  number 
was  a  well-known  scout  named  Billy  Comstock,  who 
sought  to  dispute  the  claim  of  champion.  Comstock  was 
quite  famous  among  the  Western  army,  being  one  of  the 
oldest  scouts  and  most  skillful  hunters.  He  was  mur- 
dered by  Indians  seven  years  after  the  event  about  to  be 
recorded,  while  scouting  for  Custer. 

\o  Bill  was  somewhat  startled  on©  day  upon  re» 


294  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

ceipt  of  a  letter  from  a  well-known  army  officer  offering 
to  wager  the  sum  of  $500  that  Comstock  could  kill  a 
greater  number  of  buffaloes  in  a  certain  given  time, 
under  stipulated  conditions,  than  any  other  man  living. 
This  was,  of  course,  a  challenge  to  Buffalo  Bill,  who, 
upon  mentioning  the  facts,  found  hundreds  of  friends 
anxious  to  accept  the  wager,  or  who  would  have  put  up 
any  amount  that  Bill's  claim  to  the  championship  could 
not  be  successfully  disputed  by  any  person  living. 

The  bet  was  promptly  accepted,  and  the  following 
conditions  agreed  to :  A  large  herd  of  buffaloes  being- 
found,  the  two  men  were  to  enter  the  drove  at  eight 
o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  employ  their  own  tactics  for  killing  un- 
til four  o'clock,  p.  M.,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  one 
having  killed  the  largest  number  was  to  be  declared  win- 
ner of  the  wager  and  also  the  * « champion  buffalo  killer 
of  America."  To  determine  the  result  of  the  hunt,  a 
referee  was  to  accompany  each  of  the  hunters  on  horse- 
back and  keep  the  score. 

The  place  selected  for  the  trial  was  twenty  miles  east 
of  Sheridan,  Kansas,  where  the  buffaloes  were  so  plenti- 
ful that  thousands  could  be  found  without  difficulty,  and 
the  country  being  a  level  prairie  rendered  the  hunt  easy 
and  afforded  an  excellent  view  for  those  who  wished  to 
witness  the  exciting  contest. 

There  was  so  much  excitement  created  by  a  general 
publication  of  the  match  that  when  the  day  arrived 
several  hundred  visitors  were  present,  among  the  crowd 
being  an  excursion  party  of  one  hundred  people  from  St. 
Louis,  which  was  accompanied  by  Buffalo  Bill's  wife  and 
youngest  daughter. 

Comstock  was  well  mounted  on  a  strong,  spirited 
horse  and  carried  a  42-calibre  Henry  rifle.  Buffalo  Bill 
appeared  on  his  famous  horse.  Old  Brigham,  and  in  this 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO    BILL.  295 

he  certainly  had  great  advantage,  for  this  sagacious  ani- 
mal knew  all  about  his  rider's  style  of  hunting  buffaloes, 
and  therefore  needed  no  reining. 

The  party  rode  out  on  the  prairie  at  an  early  hour  in 
the  morning  and  soon  discovered  a  herd  of  about  one 
hundred  buffaloes  grazing  on  a  beautiful  stretch  of 
ground  just  suited  for  the  work  in  hand.  The  two  hunt- 
ers rode  rapidly  forward  accompanied  by  their  referees, 
while  the  spectators  followed  a  hundred  yards  in  the 
rear.  At  a  given  signal  the  two  contestants  dashed  into 
the  center  of  the  herd,  dividing  it  so  that  Bill  took  the 
right  half  while  Comstock  pursued  those  on  the  left. 

Now  the  sport  began  in  magnificent  style  amid  the 
cheers  of  excited  spectators,  who  rode  as  near  the  contest- 
ants as  safety  and  non-interference  permitted.  Buffalo 
Bill,  after  killing  the  first  half-dozen  stragglers  in  the 
herd,  began  an  exhibition  of  his  wonderful  skill  and 
strategy  ;  "by  riding  at  the  head  of  the  herd  and  pressing 
the  leaders  hard  toward  the  left,  he  soon  got  the  drove 
to  circling,  killing  those  that  were  disposed  to  break  off 
on  a  direct  line.  In  a  short  time  witnesses  of  this  novel 
contest  saw  Buffalo  Bill  driving  his  portion  of  the  herd  in 
a  beautiful  circle  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  he  had  all 
those  in  his  bunch,  numbering  thirty-eight,  lying  around 
within  a  very  small  compass. 

Comstock,  in  the  meantime,  had  done  some  fine  work, 
but  by  attacking  the  rear  of  his  herd  he  had  to  ride  di- 
rectly away  from  the  crowd  of  anxious  spectators.  He 
succeeded  in  killing  twenty-three  which,  however,  lay  ir- 
regularly over  a  space  three*  miles  in  extent,  and  there- 
fore while  he  killed  fewer  than  his  rival,  he  at  the  same 
time  manifested  less  skill,  which,  by  contrast,  showed 
most  advantageously  for  Buffalo  Bill. 

All  the  party  having  returned  to  the  apex  of  a  beauti- 
18 


296  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

ful  knoll,  a  large  number  of  champagne  bottles  were  pro- 
duced and  amid  volleys  of  flying  corks  toasts  were  drunk 
to  the  buffalo  heroes,  Buffalo  Bill  being  especially  lauded 
and  now  a  decided  favorite. 

But  these  ceremonies  were  suddenly  interrupted  by  the 
appearance  of  another  small  herd  of  buffalo  cows  and 
calves,  into  which  the  two  contestants  charged  precipi- 
tately. In  this  "round"  Bill  scored  eighteen,  while 
Comstock  succeeded  in  killing  only  fourteen. 

The  superiority  of  Buffalo  Bill  was  now  so  plainly 
shown  that  his  backers,  as  well  as  himself,  saw  that  he 
could  afford  to  give  an  exhibition  of  his  wonderful  horse- 
manship, while  continuing  the  contest,  without  fear  of 
losing  the  stakes.  Accordingly,  after  again  regaling 
themselves  with  champagne  and  other  appetizing  acces- 
sories, the  cavalcade  of  interested  spectators  rode  north- 
ward for  a  distance  of  three  miles,  where  they  discov- 
ered a  large  herd  of  buffaloes  quietly  browsing.  The 
party  then  halted,  and  Buffalo  Bill,  removing  both  sad- 
dle and  bridle  from  Old  Brigham,  rode  off  on  his  well- 
trained  horse,  directing  him  solely  by  motions  of  his 
hand.  Reaching  the  herd  by  circling  and  coming  down 
upon  it  from  the  windward  quarter,  the  two  rival  hunters 
rushed  uponf"  the  surprised  buffaloes  and  renewed  the 
slaughter.  After  killing  thirteen  of  the  animals,  Buffalo 
Bill  drove  one  of  the  largest  buffaloes  in  the  herd  toward 
the  party,  seeing  which  many  ladies  who  were  among  the 
interested  spectators  became  very  much  frightened,  show- 
ing as  much  trepidation ,  perhaps,  as  they  would  have  man- 
ifested hud  the  buffalo  been  an  enraged  lion.  But  when 
the  ponderous,  shaggy-headed  beast  came  within  a  few 
yards  of  the  party  Bill  shot  it  dead,  thus  giving  a  grand 
coup  d'etat  to  the  day's  sport,  which  closed  with  this 
magnificent  exhibition  of  skill  and  daring. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  299 

The  day  having  now  been  far  spent,  and  time  called,  it 
was  found  that  the  score  stood  thus  :  Buffalo  Bill,  sixty-^ 
nine ;  Comstock,  forty-six.  The  former  was  therefore 
declared  winner  and  entitled  to  the  championship  as  the 
most  skillful  buffalo-slayer  in  America. 


CHAPTER  XH. 

AFTER  the  great  buffalo  killing  match  the  name  of 
Buffalo  Bill  became  familiar  all  over  the  country,  and  his 
exploits,  generally,  were  a  topic  people  never  grew  tired 
of  discussing.  All  his  great  battles  with  the  Indians  and 
valuable  services  as  a  scout  were  re-told,  not  only  at  the 
fireside,  but  also  by  the  military  operating  in  the  West. 
He  was  beginning  to  be  appreciated. 

In  the  spring  of  1868  a  violent  Indian  war  broke  out 
in  central  and  western  Kansas,  which  assumed  such  a 
serious  aspect  that  Gen.  Sheridan,  in  order  to  be  on  the 
field,  took  up  his  headquarters  at  Hays  City.  Directly 
after  making  this  move  the  General  sent  for  Buffalo  Bill 
and  in  person  tendered  him  a  position  as  scout  and  guide, 
which  was  immediately  accepted.  He  was  then  ordered 
to  report  to  Capt.  Parker,  at  Fort  Lamed,  for  services. 

Knowing  that  he  would  be  absent  from  home  for  a 
long  time,  he  sent  his  wife  and  child  to  Leaven  worth, 
where  he  would  have  better  opportunities  of  visiting  them 
than  elsewhere. 

Reaching  Ft.  Lamed  Bill  was  appointed  a  special  scout 
to  Gen.  Hazen  who  had  just  arranged  for  a  trip  to  Ft. 
Sarah,  thirty  miles  distant.  Near  Larned  there  were  sev- 
eral bands  of  Comanche  and  Kiowa  Indians  who  had  not 


300  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 

yet  joined  their  hostile  brothers,  but  were  seeking  a  pre- 
text for  so  doing,  especially  as  the  fort  was  garrisoned  by 
only  two  companies  of  infantry  and  one  of  cavalry.  The 
head  chief  of  these  restless  Comanches  was  Satanta,  an 
old  villain  who  has  since  figured  in  Texas  outrages  and 
been  duly  hanged  according  to  a  righteous  law. 

Gen.  Hazen  started  for  Ft.  Sarah  in  a  six-mule  wagon 
under  an  infantry  escort  of  twenty  men ,  with  Buffalo  Bill 
as  guide.  The  trip  was  made  in  safety,  but  as  the  General 
concluded  to  go  on  to  Ft.  Harker  without  a  guide,  Bill 
was  ordered  to  return  to  Larned.  Mounting  his  mule  he 
was  making  good  time  toward  the  post,  when  about 
half  way,  near  Pawnee  Kock,  forty  Indians  came  rushing 
down  on  him .  Instead  of  presenting  their  arms ,  however, 
they  presented  their  hands,  saying,  "  How  I  How  !  "  with 
such  warmth  of  feeling  that  Bill  accepted  their  greeting, 
but  instead  of  shaking  his  hand  they  jerked  inm  with  such 
violence  that  he  was  almost  unseated,  while  others  in  the 
party  grabbed  the  reins  of  his  bridle  and  started  to  lead 
the  mule  off.  Bill  was  at  an  unreasonable  disadvantage, 
but  nevertheless  he  was  ready  for  a  fight  regardless  of  the 
odds.  Fortunately  for  him,  as  it  proved,  when  he  at- 
tempted to  draw  his  pistols  one  of  the  Indians  struck 
him  a  violent  blow  on  the  head  with  a  tomahawk,  render- 
ing him  so  nearly  insensible  thatthiey  easily  disarmed  and 
bound  him.  All  this  time  the  Indians  were  howling  their 
war  cries  and  otherwise  indicated  their  purpose  of  going 
on  the  warpath,  so  that  Bill  very  naturally  supposed  he 
was  to  be  one  of  their  first  victims. 

His  captors  led  him  for  nearly  two  miles  down  a  creek, 
where  they  reached  another  body  of  Indians  apparently 
in  council.  Old  Satanta,  whom  Bill  knew  by  having  seen 
once  before,  occupied  the  chief  council  seat,  and  be- 
fore this  old  veteran  thief  and  murderer  he  was  brought. 


LIFE   OF    BUFFALO   BILL.  301 

At  this  juncture  a  marvelously  cunning  expedient  came  to 
mind  and  was  at  once  adopted  by  Bill.  He  knew  that 
the  Indians  were  nearly  out  of  meat  and  were  expecting  a 
large  herd  of  cattle  which  had  already  been  promised 
them  by  Gen.  Hazen.  In  reply,  therefore,  to  the  first  in- 
quiries of  Satanta,  Bill,  speaking  in  a  very  bold  and  osten- 
tatious manner,  said  : 

' '  I  have  been  after  a  big  heap  lot '  who-haws '  for  your 
people.  Why  have  your  young  warriors  acted  to  ward  me 
like  a  pack  of  hungry  coyotes?" 

This  announcement  caused  the  old  rogue  to  change  his 
facial  expression  from  a  demure,  murderous  look  to  a 
broad ,  happy  grin ;  and  after  questioning  the  cunning 
scout  until  he  had  elicited  more  specious  prevarications 
than  can  be  heard  in  a  Turkish  court,  Satunta  tried  to 
outlie  Bill  by  declaring  that  his  young  men  had  meant  no 
harm  by  their  acts,  intending  only  to  have  some  sport  by 
testing  his  bravery.  He  now  asked  Bill  to  drive  the  cat- 
tle down  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  where  they 
could  herd  and  graze  them,  proffering  an  Indian  escort  if 
he  desired. 

Bill  promptly  told  him  that  he  needed  no  escort  but 
would  drive  the  cattle  to  the  spot  indicated,  as  that  was 
in  pursuance  of  instructions  from  Gen.  Hazen. 

His  mule  having  been  returned  to  him  Bill  mounted 
and  rode  toward  the  creek,  reflecting  on  the  excellent  suc- 
cess of  his  expedient  and  the  probability  of  being  fol- 
lowed. The  creek  was  quite  broad  but  easily  forded,  so 
that  it  was  no  barrier  to  pursuit  if  the  Indians  should 
suspect  the  falsity  of  his  representations.  Upon  reach- 
ing the  opposite  bank  he  was  therefore  very  much 
alarmed  at  seeing  a  dozen  of  the  Indians  riding  toward 
him  as  if  to  determine  the  accuracy  of  his  statements. 
It  chanced  that  the  land  on  that  side  of  the  creek  which 


302  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

he  had  now  gained  was  considerably  depressed,  so  that  af- 
ter passing  over  the  bank  he  was  hidden  from  view  until 
the  Indians  gained  the  apex.  This  advantage  he  used  so 
well,  by  putting  the  mule  at  his  highest  rate  of  speed, 
that  when  the  suspicious  Indians  gained  the  bank's  sum- 
mit he  was  fully  one  mile  in  advance  and  riding  furiously 
toward  Ft.  Larned. 

Upon  seeing  the  fleeing  scout  there  were  no  further 
grounds  for  suspecting  his  motives,  so  the  Indians,  who 
were  mounted  on  excellent  ponies,  dashed  after  him  as 
though  they  were  impelled  by  a  promised  reward  of  all 
the  whisky  and  bacon  in  the  Big  Father's  commissary  for 
his  scalp. 

Bill  was  trying  to  save  his  hair  and  the  Indians  were 
equally  anxious  to  secure  it,  so  that  the  ride  prompted  by 
these  diametrically  opposed  motives  was  as  furious  as 
Tarn  O'Shanter's. 

After  running  over  about  three  miles  of  ground  Bill 
turned  his  head  only  to  be  horrified  with  the  sight  of  his 
pursuers  gaining  rapidly  on  him.  He  now  sank  the 
spurs  a  little  deeper  into  his  mule,  let  out  another  inch 
of  the  reins  and  succeeded  in  increasing  the  speed  of  his 
animal,  which  appeared  to  be  sailing  under  a  second 
wind. 

It  was  thus  the  chase  continued  to  Ash  Grove,  four 
miles  from  Ft.  Larned,  at  which  point  Bill  was  less  than 
half  a  mile  ahead  of  the  Indians,  who  were  trying  to  make 
line  shots  with  him  and  his  mule  as  the  target.  Reach- 
ing Pawnee  Fork  he  dashed  into  that  stream  and  as  he 
gained  the  opposite  shore  and  was  rounding  a  thick  clump 
of  trees  he  was  rejoiced  to  meet  Denver  Jim,  a  promi- 
nent scout,  in  company  with  a  private  soldier,  driving  a 
wagon  toward  the  post. 

A  moment  spent  in  explanation  determined  the  three 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  305 

men  upon  an  ambush.  Accordingly,  the  wagon  was 
hastily  driven  into  the  woods,  and  posting  themselves  at 
an  advantageous  point  they  awaited  the  appearance  of 
the  red-skinned  pursuers.  "Look  out!"  said  Bill, 
"here  they  come,  right  over  my  trail."  True  enough, 
the  twelve  painted  warriors  rode  swiftly  around  the  clump 
of  brush,  and  the  next  instant  there  was  a  discharge  of 
shots  from  the  ambush  which  sent  two  Indians  sprawling 
on  the  ground,  where  they  kicked  out  their  miserable 
existence.  The  others  saw  the  danger  of  their  position, 
and  making  a  big  circle,  rode  rapidly  back  toward  their 
war  party. 

When  the  three  men  reached  Larned,  Buffalo  Bill  and 
Denver  Jim  each  displayed  an  Indian  scalp  as  trophies  of 
a  successful  ambush,  and  at  the  same  time  apprised  Capt, 
Parker  of  the  hostile  character  of  Satanta  and  his  tribe. 

On  the  following  day  about  eight  hundred  warriors 
appeared  before  the  fort  and  threatened  to  storm  it,  but 
being  met  with  a  determined  front  they  circled  around 
the  post  several  times,  keeping  the  soldiers  inside  until 
their  village  could  move  off. 

Considerable  fear  was  entertained  at  the  fort,  owing 
to  the  great  number  of  hostile  Indians  who  practically 
invested  it,  and  it  was  deemed  by  Capt.  Parker  as  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  send  dispatches  to  Gen.  Sheridan, 
informing  him  of  the  situation.  Fort  Hays  was  sixty- 
five  miles  distant  from  Fort  Larned,  and  as  the  country 
was  fairly  swarming  with  the  worst  kind  of  * '  bad ' L 
Indians,  Capt.  Parker  tried  in  vain  to  find  some  one  wh& 
would  carry  the  dispatches,  until  the  request  was  made 
of  Buffalo  BilL  This  expedition  was  not  within  Bill's 
line  of  duty,  and  presented  dangers  that  would  have 
caused  the  boldest  man  to  hesitate ;  but  finding  all  the 
couriers  absolutely  refusing  to  perform  the  necessary 


306  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

service,  he  agreed  to  deliver  the  message,  provided  he 
could  select  the  horse  that  he  wanted  to  ride.  Of  course 
this  requirement  was  readily  assented  to,  and  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  during  a  terrible  storm,  the  brave  scout 
set  out,  knowing  that  he  had  to  run  a  very  gauntlet  of 
hostiles,  who  would  make  many  sacrifices  if  by  so  doing 
they  could  lift  his  coveted  scalp. 

The  profound  darkness  of  the  night  afforded  him  some 
security  from  surprise,  but  his  fears  of  riding  into  an  In- 
dian camp  were  realized  when  he  reached  Walnut  Creek. 
A  barking  dog  was  the  first  intimation  of  his  position, 
but  this  was  speedily  followed  by  several  Indians  pursu- 
ing him,  being  directed  by  the  sounds  of  his  horse's  feet. 
By  hard  riding  and  good  dodging,  however,  he  eluded 
these,  and  meeting  with  no  further  mishap  than  being 
thrown  over  his  horse's  head  by  reason  of  the  animal 
suddenly  stepping  into  a  gopher  hole,  he  reached  Fort 
Hays  shortly  after  daylight  and  delivered  the  dispatches 
he  carried  before  Gen.  Sheridan  had  arisen  from  bed. 

After  delivering  the  message  Bill  went  over  to  Hays 
City,  where  he  was  well  acquainted,  and  after  taking  some 
refreshments,  lay  down  and  slept  for  two  hours.  Think- 
ing then  that  Gen .  Sheridan  might  want  to  ask  him  some 
questions  regarding  the  condition  of  affairs  at  Larned,  he 
returned  to  the  fort  and  reported  to  him.  He  was  some- 
what astonished  to  find  that  Gen.  Sheridan  was  as  anx- 
ious to  send  a  dispatch  to  Ft.  Dodge,  ninety-five  miles  dis- 
tant, as  Capt.  Parker  had  been  to  communicate  with  his  su- 
perior at  Ft.  Hays,  and  more  surprised  was  he  to  find  that 
of  the  numerous  couriers  and  scouts  at  the  fort  not  one 
could  be  induced  to  carry  the  General's  dispatch,  though 
the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  was  offered  for  the  ser- 
vice. 

Seeing  the  quandary  in  which  Gen.  Sheridan  was  placed, 
Bill  addressed  that  official  and  gaid  * 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  307 

"Well,  General,  I'll  go  over  to  the  hotel  and  take  a 
little  more  rest,  and  if  by  four  o'clock  you  have  not  secured 
some  one  to  carry  your  dispatches  I  will  undertake  to  do  it ." 

The  General  replied  :  "  I  don't  like  to  ask  so  much  of 
you,  for  I  know  you  are  tired,  but  the  matter  is,  of  great 
importance  and  some  one  must  perform  the  trip.  I'll 
give  you  a  fresh  horse  and  the  best  at  the  Fort  if  you'll 
undertake  it." 

"  "All  right,  General,  I'll  be  ready  at  four  o'clock/'  re- 
sponded Bill,  and  he  then  went  over  to  the  hotel,  but 
meeting  with  many  friends  and  the  « « irrigating ' '  being 
good,  he  obtained  only  the  rest  that  gay  compan- 
ionship affords. 

At  the  appointed  time  Bill  was  ready,  and  receiving  the 
dispatches  at  the  hands  of  Gen .  Sheridan  he  mounted  his 
horse  and  rode  away  for  Ft.  Dodge. 

After  his  departure  there  was  much  debate  among  the 
scouts  who  bade  him  good  bye  respecting  the  probability 
of  his  getting  through,  for  the  Indians  were  thick  along 
the  whole  route,  and  only  a  few  days  before  had  killed 
three  couriers  and  several  settlers. 

Bill  continued  his  ride  all  night,  meeting  with  no  inter- 
ruption, and  by  daylight  the  next  morning  he  had  reached 
Saw-Log  Crossing,  on  Pawnee  Fork,  which  was  seventy- 
five  miles  from  Ft.  Hays.  A  company  of  colored  caval- 
ry under  Major  Cox  was  stationed  here,  and  it  being  on 
the  direct  route  to  Ft.  Dodge,  Bill  carried  a  letter  with 
him  from  Gen.  Sheridan  requesting  Major  Cox  to  furnish 
him  with  a  fresh  horse  upon  his  arrival  there.  This  the 
Major  did,  so  after  partaking  of  a  good  breakfast,  Bill 
took  his  remount  and  continued  on  to  Dodge,  which  point 
he  gained  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  making  the 
ninety-five  miles  in  just  eighteen  hours  from  the  time  of 
starting. 


308  HEEOES   OF   THE   PLAINS, 

The  commanding  officer  at  Ft.  Dodge,  after  receiving 
the  dispatches,  remarked : 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Cody,  and  I'll  tell  you 
that  the  trip  just  made  is  one  of  the  most  fortunate  I 
know  of.  It  is  almost  a  miracle  how  you  got  through 
without  having  your  body  filled  as  full  of  holes  as  a  pep- 
per box.  The  Indians  are  swarming  all  around  within 
fifty  miles  of  here,  and  to  leave  camp  voluntarily  is  al- 
most equal  to  committing  suicide.  I  have  been  wanting 
to  send  a  message  to  Ft.  Larned  for  several  days,  but  the 
trip  is  so  dangerous  that  I  can't  find  any  one  who  will 
risk  it,  and  I  wouldn't  blame  the  bravest  man  for  re- 
fusing." 

"  Well,  Major,  as  I  didn't  find  any  Indians  between 
here  and  Hays,  I  think  I  might  get  through  to  Larned  ; 
in  fact,  I  want  to  go  back  there  and  if  you  will  furnish 
me  with  a  good  horse  I'll  try  to  carry  your  message." 

"  I  don't  think  it  would  be  policy  for  you  to  make  the 
trip  now,  especially  since  you  have  done  so  much  hard 
riding  already.  Besides,  the  best  mount  I  could  give  you 
would  be  a  government  mule." 

"  All  right,  Major,  I  don't  want  the  best,  second  best 
is  good  enough  for  me,  so  trot  out  your  mule.  I'll  take 
a  little  nap  and  in  the  meantime  have  your  hostler  slick 
up  the  mule  so  he  can  slide  through  with  me  like  a 
greased  thunderbolt  should  the  reds  jump  us." 

Bill  then  went  off,  and  after  * « liquidating ' '  in  true 
Western  style,  lay  down  in  the  Major's  quarters  where 
he  slept  soundly  until  nearly  five  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
when,  having  replenished  his  canteen,  he  mounted  the  pa- 
tient mule  and  set  out  for  Ft.  Larned,  which  was  sixty- 
five  miles  east  of  Ft.  Dodge. 

After  proceeding  as  far  as  Coon  Creek,  which  was 
nearly  half  way,  Bill  dismounted  for  the  purpose  of  get- 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  309 

ting  a  drink  of  water.  While  stooping  down  the  mule 
got  frightened  at  something  and  jerked  loose,  nor  did  the 
stupid  animal  stop  to  consider  how  essential  his  service 
was  to  his  rider,  for  he  at  once  set  off  in  a  trot  down  the 
creek.  In  vain  did  Bill  coax  the  mule  with  promises  of 
oats  and  green  pastures ;  the  stupid  descendant  of  Ba- 
laam's admonisher  could  not  be  fooled  with  that  sort  of 
flattery,  and  the  chagrined  and  weary  scout  had  to  follow 
in  the  rear,  hoping  that  the  animal  would  step  on  the 
loosened  reins  and  thus  check  himself.  But  mile  after 
mile  did  the  dismounted  and  now  infuriated  scout  follow 
that  irritating  mule.  Time  and  again  did  he  decide  to 
shoot  the  tantalizing  animal,  but  the  decision  did  not  pre- 
vail against  his  better  reaaon;  for  though  useless  as  a 
conveyance  the  mule  still  carried  the  saddle  and  bridle 
and  it  were  better  to  make  him  bear  th->  burden  of  these 
to  Ft,  Lamed  than  attempt  to  carry  them  himself. 

Thus  the  two  traveled  in  the  direction  of  Ft.  Larned 
all  night,  both  keeping  in  the  main  road  despite  the  dan- 
ger which  it  threatened .  In  the  morning  just  as  the  sun 
was  peeping  over  the  hazy  hilltops  Bill  and  the  mule 
reached  a  high  knoll  at  the  bottom  of  which  lay  the  fort. 
"  Now,"  said  the  scout  to  himself,  "  I'm  going  to  manage 
the  rest  of  this  journey,  in  as  much  as  it  is  less  than  half 
a  mile  long,"  and  with  this  he  raised  his  gun  with  venge- 
ful deliberation  and  fired  a  slug  into  the  rear  abutments 
of  that  incomparably  malicious  mule.  One  shot  did  not 
afford  the  complete  satisfaction  he  desired,  and  it  was 
really  grateful  to  him  to  see  the  animal  die  so  slowly.  So 
much  sin  required  a  dreadful  amount  of  atonement,  and 
while  the  mule  was  in  the  atoning  business  it  was  expedi- 
ent that  he  should  do  as  much  of  it  as  possible.  So  died 
the  ass  that  looked  back  with  scorn,  and  no  man  knoweth 


310  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

how  much  evil  perished  with  him  ;  yea,  even  unto  this  day 
knoweth  no  man. 

After  reaching  Larned — carrying  the  bridle  and  saddle 
himself — Buffalo  Bill  spent  several  hours  in  refreshing 
sleep,  and  when  he  awakened  he  found  Gen.  Hazen  try- 
^ng  to  induce  some  of  the  couriers  to  take  his  dispatches 
to  Gen.  Sheridan,  at  Ft.  Hays.  Having  been  warmly 
and  very  justly  praised  for  the  long  and  perilous  rides  he 
had  just  completed,  Bill  again  proffered  his  services  to 
perform  the  trip .  At  first  Gen .  Hazen  refused  to  despatch 
him  on  the  mission,  saying,  "This  is  like  riding  a  free 
horse  to  death  ;  you  have  already  ridden  enough  to  kill 
any  ordinary  man,  and  I  don't  think  it  would  be  treating 
you  properly  to  permit  you  to  make  this  additional  jour- 
ney." 

But  when  evening  came  and  no  other  volunteer  could 
be  engaged,  as  a  matter  of  last  resort  Bill  was  given  a 
good  horse  and  the  dispatches  entrusted  to  him  for  trans- 
mission. It  was  after  nightfall  when  he  started  on  this 
last  trip  and  by  daylight  the  next  morning  he  was  in  Ft. 
Hays,  where  he  delivered  the  dispatches.  Gen.  Sheridan 
was  profoundly  astonished  to  see  Bill  before  him  again  in 
so  short  a  time,  and  after  being  informed  of  his  wonderful 
riding  during  the  three  days,  the  General  pronounced  it  a 
feat  that  was  never  equaled,  and  even  now  Gen.  Sheridan 
maintains  that  no  other  man  could  accomplish  the  same 
distance  under  similar  circumstances.  To  this  day  the 
rides  here  described  stand  on  record  as  the  most  remark- 
able ever  made.  They  aggregated  three  hundred  and 
fifty-five  miles  in  fifty-eight  riding  hours,  or  an  average  of 
more  than  six  miles  an  hour  including  an  enforced  walk  of 
thirty-five  miles.  When  it  is  considered  that  all  this  dis- 
tance was  made  during  the  night  time  and  through  a  coun- 
try full  of  hostile  Indians,  without  a  road  to  follow  or  a 


LITE    OF    BUFFALO    BILL.  311 

bridge  to  cross  the  streams,  the  feat  appears  too  incredu- 
lous for  belief  were  it  not  for  the  most  indisputable  evi- 
dence, easily  attainable,  which  makes  disbelief  impos- 
sible. 


CHAPTER  XHL 

GEN.  SHEKIDAN  was  so  favorably  impressed  by  the 
self-sacrificing  spirit  and  marvelous  endurance  of  Buffalo 
Bill,  and  being  already  acquainted  with  his  reputation  as 
a  brave  man  and  superior  fighter,  that  he  called  the 
noted  scout  to  his  headquarters  directly  after  receiving 
Major  Hazen's  dispatches,  and  said  : 

"  Cody,  I  have  ordered  the  Fifth  Cavalry  to  proceed 
against  the  Dog  Soldier  Indians  who  are  now  terrorizing 
the  Republican  River  district,  and  as  the  campaign  will 
be  a  very  important  one  I  want  a  first-class  man  to  guide 
the  expedition.  From  my  brief  acquaintance  with  you  I 
am  convinced  that  you  are  the  person  best  suited  for  this 
service.  I  have  therefore  decided  to  appoint  you  guide 
and  also  chief  of  scouts  of  the  command.  I  hope  the 
place  will  be  acceptable  to  you,  for  it  is  particularly  de- 
sirable that  the  very  best  guide  and  scout  should  fill  this 
position,  and  I  am  frank  to  say  I  have  thorough  confi- 
dence in  your  abilities." 

Giving  his  big  sombrero  a  careless  whirl  on  his  left 
hand,  Bill  answered  in  his  usual  indifferent  manner : 

"  I  thank  you,  General,  for  this  compliment ;  I  am  al- 
ways ready  to  execute  your  orders,  and  if  you  consider 
me  the  best  man  for  the  place,  why,  then,  I'm  off  without 


312  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Only  two  days  before  this  occurrence  a  body  of  twenty 
scouts,  under  Gen.  Forsythe,  had  returned  from  the  Re- 
publican river,  where  they  had  been  engaged  in  one  of 
the  most  desperate  battles  ever  fought  with  the  Indians. 
The  original  force  of  the  scouts  was  fifty  men,  but  being 
corraled  by  five  hundred  Indians  on  the  Arickaree  they 
had  to  fight  this  overpowering  number  from  breastworks 
made  of  their  dead  mules  for  a  period  of  six  days.  In 
order  to  sustain  life  they  fed  on  the  bodies  of  their  dead 
animals,  and  when  at  last  relieved  by  a  detachment  of 
cavalry  under  Col.  Carpenter,  there  were  only  twenty  of 
the  original  number  left,  the  others  having  been  killed 
outright  or  died  from  neglected  wounds. 

On  the  third  of  October,  nearly  a  week  after  Buffalo 
Bill's  appointment,  the  Fifth  Cavalry  arrived  at  Ft. 
Hays,  where  he  was  directly  introduced  to  the  officers  and 
it  was  but  a  short  time  before  he  had  won  the  friendship 
and  admiration  of  them  all. 

In  two  days  after  their  arriva*  the  regiment  was  put 
upon  the  march,  going  by  the  most  direct  route  toward 
the  infested  country.  The  transportation  facilities  com- 
prised seventy-five  six  mule  wagons,  with  a  full  comple- 
ment of  ambulances,  the  whole  outfit  when  stretched  out 
on  the  prairie  making  a  caravan  most  imposing  in  ap- 
pearance. 

During  the  first  four  days  of  marching  no  Indians 
were  seen  and  nothing  occurred  beyond  the  usual  inci- 
dents of  camp  life  ;  but  on  the  evening  of  October  10th, 
as  the  command  was  preparing  to  go  into  camp  on  the 
Saline  river,  when  all  the  horses  were  unsaddled  and  the 
wagons  corraled,  the  regiment  was  surprised  by  several 
hundred  Indians  who  rushed  down  from  neighboring  hill 
upod  the  unprepared  expedition  and  created  great  excite- 
ment. A  cordon  of  men  was  quietly  thrown  around  thes 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL. 


313 


wagon*  to  protect  the  camp  and  afford  time  for  the  troops 
to  get  their  horses  readv  and  mount.     The  Indians  cir* 


^. 

«~< 

p- 

I 

> 


cled  around  the  bustling  command,  assuming  various  atti- 
tudes on  their  ponies  and  shooting  at  the  same  time,  but 


314  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

they  were  met  with  such  an  effective  fire  from  the  cordon 
that  they  retreated,  leaving  several  dead  bodies  on  the 
field.  Buffalo  Bill  was  the  first  man  to  get  his  horse  in 
readiness,  and  mounting  in  advance  of  all  the  rest,  led  the 
van  several  hundred  yards  in  pursuing  the  Indians,  two 
of  whom  he  killed  and  wounded  the  horse  of  another. 
Feeling  safe  from  attack  now,  the  regiment  returned  to 
camp,  intending  to  follow  the  trail  made  by  the  attacking 
party  early  the  next  morning. 

It  was  scarcely  daylight  when  the  command  was  put 
in  motion,  following  the  trail  sharply,  which  led  to  the 
South  Fork  of  Solomon  river,  where  it  scattered.  Here 
the  expedition  went  into  camp  again,  and  as  it  was 
scarcely  yet  three  o'clock,  p.  M.,  Col.  Royal  requested 
Bill  to  take  a  short  circuit  over  the  prairie  and  try  to  kill 
a  few  buffaloes,  as  their  fresh  meat  supply  was  almost 
exhausted. 

4 'All  right,"  responded  Bill,  "send  a  wagon  along 
with  me  to  haul  in  the  carcasses." 

"  It  is  not  a  custom  of  mine  to  count  profits  before 
beginning  business.  Kill  your  game  first,  and  then  I'll 
send  out  the  wagons,"  the  Colonel  replied. 

Without  saying  anything  more,  Bill  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  away  toward  the  north,  unaccompanied.  After 
an  absence  of  nearly  two  hours,  some  of  the  soldiers 
discerned  a  number  of  moving  things,  evidently  advanc- 
ing toward  them.  Closer  and  closer  came  the  .singular 
objects,  until  at  last  there  was  discovered  a  horseman, 
riding  in  the  rear  of  six  large  terror-stricken  buffaloes. 
In  another  moment  the  animals  had  charged  directly  into 
camp,  where  they  were  shot  down  by  Bill. 

Col.  Royal,  hearing  the  agitation  outside  his  tent, 
rushed  up  to  Bill,  who  he  discovered  was  the  cause  of 
the  excitement,  and  vigorously  embellishing  his  language, 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO    BILL.  315 

by  what  authority  he  had  aroused  so  much  con- 
fusion in  the  camp. 

In  a  most  lugubriously  penitential  way  Bill  replied  : 

"I  didn't  mean  any  harm,  Colonel;  but  as  you 
wouldn't  send  out  a  wagon  to  haul  in  my  game,  I  thought 
It  would  be  an  accommodation  to  you  if  I  made  the  buf- 
faloes furnish  their  own  conveyance.  Allow  me  to  pre- 
sent you  with  some  choice  tongues." 

The  Colonel  could  not  face  this  ingenious  reply,  and  his 
anger  was  at  once  succeeded  by  a  hearty  laugh ;  nor  did 
he  refuse  the  buffalo  tongues  proffered  him  by  the  seem- 
ingly reckless  hunter. 

The  expedition  resumed  its  march  on  the  following 
day,  but  reached  Buffalo  Tank  on  Saline  river  without 
meeting  any  more  Indians.  Here  the  command  was 
turned  over  to  Gen.  E.  A.  Carr  who  had  been  sent  out 
from  Ft.  Hays  with  the  Forsythe  scouts.  Upon  pro- 
ceeding to  Beaver  Creek  a  large,  fresh  Indian  trail  was 
discovered,  which  being  followed  for  a  distance  of  eight 
miles  brought  about  two  hundred  Indians  in  view,  who 
occupied  a  position  on  the  bluffs.  Company  M  was  or- 
dered forward,  which  being  commanded  by  an  impetuous 
and  daring  French  Lieutenant  named  Schinosky,  the  In- 
dians were  driven  over  the  bluffs  for  more  than  a  mile. 
Suddenly  they  were  reinforced  and  company  M.  found 
itself  fighting  over  four  hundred  red-skins  without  the 
least  protection.  It  looked  for  a  short  while  as  if  there 
were  no  escape  from  the  murderous  fire  poured  upon 
them  by  the  Indians.  Buffalo  Bill  hearing  the  rapid  fir- 
ing over  the  bluffs,  knew  there  was  desperate  work  be- 
ing done,  and  he  spedl  away  in  advance  of  the  main  com- 
mand which  was  hurrying  up  to  Schinosky' s  assistance. 
Gaining  the  environment,  he  shot  two  Indians  and  then 
wheeling  back  he  returned  to  headquarters  and  so  accu- 

19 


316  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

rately  described  the  position  of  the  savages  that  Gen. 
Carr  moved  two  companies  so  as  to  surround  the  enemy, 
when  a  combined  attack  was  made  with  such  fury  that 
the  battle  was  soon  ended. 

The  Indians  being  repulsed  fell  back  with  the  soldiers 
pursuing  until  a  second  force  of  about  six  hundred  war- 
riors came  into  view,  who  had  been  in  reserve  to  protect 
their  village,  while  the  others  deployed  to  bring  the  sol- 
diers into  an  ambush.  But  the  cavalry  force  was  much 
greater  than  the  Indians  had  anticipated,  and  after  mak- 
ing two  insignificant  charges  they  precipitately  retreated. 
Night  was  now  rapidly  approaching  and  Gen.  Carr  or- 
dered the  tired  soldiers  into  camp,  where  a  good  rest  was 
necessary  for  the  movements  of  the  morrow. 

On  the  following  day  the  expedition  raised  camp  at  an 
early  hour  and  taking  up  the  trail  where  they  left  it  at 
the  village,  pushed  forward  so  rapidly  that  about  three 
oVock  they  sighted  a  large  force  of  Indians  who  turned 
back  the  moment  they  were  discovered  and  gave  battle. 
But  they  fought  very  shy,  their  purpose  being  to  check 
the  cavalry  advance  so  as  to  permit  their  village  to  es- 
cape. Finding  that  a  battle  front  would  not  serve  their 
purpose,  they  set  the  dry  prairie  grass  on  fire,  but  it  was 
too  short  to  burn  rapidly.  A  running  fight  continued 
until  the  occupants  of  the  village  had  abandoned  all  their 
mo*e  cumbersome  materials,  such  as  lodge-poles,  kettles, 
robes,  bedding,  etc.  They  now  traveled  much  more 
rapidly,  so  that  the  troops  rarely  came  within  gun-shot 
distance. 

The  pursuit  continued  for  three  days  until  the  Indian* 
had  scattered  so  badly  that  it  was  impossible  for  an  army 
to  follow  them  any  longer. 

Having  abandoned  pursuit  of  the  Dog  Soldier  Indians 
the  expedition  set  out  for  the  headwaters  of  Beaver  Creek. 


LIFE    OF    BUFFALO   BILL. 


317 


After  traveling  about  thirty-five  miles  Gen.  Carrrode  for- 
ward until  he  overtook  Buffalo  Bill,  who  as  guide  and 
chief  of  scouts,  was  riding  considerably  in  advance  of  the 
command,  and  addressing  him  said : 

"  Cody,  all  the  Forsyth  scouts  declare  you  are  going  in 
the  wrong  direction ,  and  also  that  we  are  not  likely  to 
strike  any  water  to-day  by  proceeding  on  this,  route  ;  that 
if  you  should  strike  any  of  the  branches  of  the  Beaver 
you  would  certainly  find  them  dry  at  this  season." 


Beaver  Creek — the  Trapper's  Elysian. 

Bill  answered :  "  I've  been  over  this  country  several 
times,  General,  and  notwithstanding  what  the  other  scouts 
say,  I  think  we  will  find  plenty  of  good  water  within  eight 
miles  of  here,  and  that  we  are  making  directly  for  the 
point  you  wish  to  reach." 

"All  right ;  but  remember  that  the  matteris  too  serious 
to  admit  of  mistakes  ;  the  responsibility  is  now  all  your 
own,"  and  so  saying  General  Carr  rode  back  to  the  com- 
mand. 


318  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

After  marching  seven  miles  further  the  Forsyth  scouts 
again  declared  that  they  were  wandering  in  the  wrong  di- 
rection, but  notwithstanding  their  forebodings,  within  the 
distance  asserted  by  Bill  a  beautiful  stream  of  water  was 
discovered  purling  along  the  ravines,  almost  hidden  by  the 
trees  which  lined  its  banks.  A  level,  grassy  spot  having 
been  selected,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  evening  everything 
was  put  in  preparation  for  camping  in  an  enemy's  coun- 
try. This  stream,  which  was  a  branch  of  Beaver  river, 
having  no  location  on  the  then  existing  maps,  was  named 
by  Gen.  Carr  Cody's  Creek  in  honor  of  his  distinguished 
guide,  a  name  by  which  it  is  now  known  on  all  the  topo- 
graphical maps  of  Kansas. 

On  the  following  morning  camp  was  broken  early  and 
the  march  toward  Beaver  Creek  resumed.  Buffalo  Bill9 
as  was  his  custom,  had  ridden  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
ahead  of  the  command,  and  first  striking  the  Beaver  at  a 
wide  point  was  riding  along  the  bank  seeking  a  safe  cross- 
ing. As  he  emerged  from  a  thick  covert  in  abend  of  the 
creek  he  suddenly  confronted  a  party  of  Indians  who  fired 
on  him,  shooting  his  horse  dead.  Bill  was  taken  by  such 
complete  surprise  that  as  his  horse  fell  he  went  tumbling 
headlong  into  a  thicket,  from  which  it  took  some  moments 
to  extricate  himself.  As  he  arose  another  volley  of  bul- 
lets came  zipping  into  his  retreat,  but  bringing  his  faith-* 
ful  rifle  into  position  he  shot  one  of  the  Indian's 
ponies  and  held  the  whole  party  at  bay  until  the  command 
reached  him.  Company  I,  under  Lieutenant  Brady,  was 
sent  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians,  and  being  accompanied  by 
Bill,  who  had  been  furnished  with  another  horse,  a  lively 
battle  was  soon  precipitated.  But  the  Indians  beat  a 
retreat,  followed  by  the  soldiers,  who  succededin  killing 
several  and  capturing  a  large  quantity  of  Indian  equip- 
age. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  319 

The  expedition  continued  beating  the  skirts  of  Beaver 
Creek  for  some  days,  but  finding  no  more  Indians,  and 
supplies  running  short,  Gen.  Carr  ordered  the  command 
to  Fort  Wallace,  where  it  remained  for  several  days. 

During  this  period  of  quiet,  Bill  amused  himself  by 
pursuing  his  favorite  sport,  buffalo  and  antelope  shooting. 
Having  met  with  uniform  success  on  these  hunts,  three 
of  the  other  scouts  concluded  to  accompany  him,  and  the 
party,  all  being  excellent  marksmen,  a  wagon  was  given 
them  to  haul  in  their  game.  The  quartette  of  hunters 
had  proceeded  seven  or  eight  miles  from  the  foit,  when 
they  discovered  a  large  herd  of  buffaloes,  running  rapidly 
toward  Beaver  Creek.  Pursuit  was,  of  course,  given, 
and  the  sport  became  so  exciting  that  the  hunters  took  no 
concern  or  thought  of  danger  until  they  discovered  about 
fifty  Indians  bearing  down  on  them,  shutting  off  a  retreat 
toward  Wallace. 

The  boys  saw  they  were  in  for  a  hard  fight,  and  Bill, 
being  recognized  as  a  boss  fighter  and  stayer,  was  looked 
to  for  advice. 

4 'Make  for  that  ravine ;  if  we  reach  that  in  time  we 
san  stand  them  off  for  a  while  anyhow." 

This  was  his  first  order,  and  it  was  obeyed  with  such 
alacrity  that  the  party  not  only  reached  the  ravine,  but 
had  also  dismounted  in  time  to  send  such  a  destructive 
volley  into  the  charging  Indians  that  four  were  unseated. 
This  checked  the  advance,  but  only  for  a  moment,  when 
they  again  came  pouring  down  upon  the  hunters,  yelling 
like  the  materialized  spirits  of  hades.  But  again  the 
repeating  guns  of  the  four  brave  hunters  played  upon 
them  so  disastrously  that  the  Indians  fell  back.  Sally- 
ing, however,  after  a  council  of  several  minutes,  they 
made  another  charge,  coming  so  close  this  time  that  one 
of  the  hunters  was  wounded  and  three  of  their  horse* 


320  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

were  killed.  But  the  attack  was  again  successfully  re- 
pulsed, with  such  loss  to  the  Indians  that  they  retreated, 
and  riding  rapidly  due  north  were  seen  no  more. 

The  four  hunters  had  reason  to  rejoice  at  the  victory 
they  had  won,  but  though  they  had  only  three  sound 
horses  and  a  wounded  companion,  the  hunt  was  not  yet 
abandoned.  Another  herd  of  buffaloes  being  found,  the 
wounded  man  remained  in  the  wagon,  while  the  others 
set  off:  after  the  gams,  and  killed  as  many  as  their  means 
of  transportation  justified.  Having  now  succeeded  as 
both  fighters  and  hunters,  the  party  returned  to  the  fort 
with  trophies  of  their  adventures  and  received  well 
deserved  compliments  from  Gen.  Carr  for  their  deeds. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

AFTER  leaving  Fort  Wallace,  Gen.  Carr's  forces  were 
ordered  to  winter  along  the  Canadian  river,  in  which 
portion  of  the  country  Indians  were  occasionally  com- 
mitting depredations.  Proceeding,  therefore,  to  Fort 
Lyon,  the  command  was  duly  equipped  for  the  approach- 
ing season,  and  then  set  out,  intending  to  overtake  and 
consolidate  with  Gen.  Penrose,  who  had  departed  toward 
Camp  Supply  three  weeks  previously.  Buffalo  Bill  was 
especially  anxious  for  the  consolidation,  because  Wild 
Bill,  his  old  friend,  was  Gen.  Penrose' s  chief  of  scouts. 

Winter  was  now  near  at  hand,  and  reaching  Freeze  Out 
Canon,  they  found  the  snow  so  deep  that  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  march  through  it.  To  overcome  this  obsta- 
cle the  command,  as  far  as  practicable,  was  put  to  work 
ihoveling  and  beating  a  roadway  for  the  teams,  which 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  321 

were  brought  through   only  with  the  greatest  difficulty. 

After  a  very  long  march,  full  of  hardships  and  suffer- 
ings, Gen.  Penrose's  camp  was  found  on  the  Palodora 
in  a  most  distracted  condition.  Their  provisions  had 
long  been  exhausted  and  life  had  been  sustained  by  eat- 
ing the  carcasses  of  their  draught  animals.  After  a  lib- 
eral distribution  of  rations  among  the  famishing  men, 
Wild  Bill  and  Buffalo  Bill  covenanted  together  for  a  good 
time  of  their  own,  to  accomplish  which  they  tapped  a 
beer  train  which  was  being  driven  through  by  a  party  of 
Mexicans  to  Camp  Evans  to  trade  to  the  soldiers  at  that 
point,  which  was  only  twelve  miles  from  the  Palodora 
station. 

Indulging  to  their  full  capacity,  the  soldiers  were  not 
forgotten ,  and  there  was  hilarity  in  camp  o'f  the  most  in- 
spiriting character,  changing  all  factious  grumbling  into 
a  hearty  good  time,  in  this  sense  proving  a  positive  ben- 
efit to  the  two  suffering  commands.  Arriving  at  Camp 
Evans,  Wild  Bill  was  despatched  to  Camp  Supply,  two 
hundred  miles  distant,  and  the  armies  settled  in  tempo- 
rary quarters  to  await  his  return.  The  trip  was  made  in 
an  almost  incredibly  short  time,  his  celerity  being  due  to 
orders  from  Supply  informing  Gens.  Penrose  and  Carr 
of  Black  Kettle's  depredations  on  the  Wachita,  and  order- 
ing them  to  pursue  him .  Following  out  these  in  structions 
the  consolidated  commands  moved  rapidly  along  the 
Cimarron  until  they  discovered  the  Indians,  when  a  ter- 
rific battle  immediately  ensued.  In  this  fight  Buffalo  Bill 
and  Wild  Bill  did  almost  the  work  of  a  regiment ;  braver 
men  never  went  into  an  action,  both  fighting  as  though 
they  were  invulnerable. 

In  the  fury  and  rout  which  followed  the  first  charge 
Wild  Bill  gave  chase  to  Black  Kettle,  head  chief  of  the 
Cheyennes  engaged,  and  overtaking  the  fleeing  red  war- 


322  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

rior,  stabbed  him  to  death.  But  the  accomplishment  of 
this  heroic  action  would  have  cost  him  his  own  life  had 
not  Buffalo  Bill  ridden  with  impetuous  daring  into  the 
very  midst  of  fully  fifty  Indians  who  had  surrounded 
Wild  Bill  intent  on  either  his  capture  or  death.  These 
two  daring  and  intrepid  scouts  plunged  furiously  into  the 
midst  of  the  Indians,  each  with  a  revolver  in  either  hand, 
and  literally  carved  their  way  through  the  surging  mass 
of  red  skins,  leaving  a  furrow  of  dead  Indians  in  their 
wake.  Such  fighting,  such  riding,  and  such  marvelous 
intrepidity  combined,  were  doubtless  never  equaled,  and 
if  but  this  act  alone  could  be  credited  to  the  valor  of  Wild 
Bill  and  Buffalo  Bill  their  names  would  deserve  inscription 
on  Fame's  enduring  monument. 

Having  broken  the  strength  of  the  Cheyennes,  killed 
their  famous  chief  and  captured  so  many  of  their  best 
warriors,  Gen.  Carr,  who  was  chief  in  command  of  the 
consolidated  forces,  returned  toward  Camp  Supply,  but 
owing  to  heavy  snows  it  was  considered  more  advisable 
to  pitch  their  tents  on  the  Canadian  river,  especially  as 
the  country  abounded  with  game. 

During  this  latter  encampment  a  serious  feud  was  cre- 
ated between  fifteen  Mexican  scouts  with  Gen.  Penrose's 
command  and  an  equal  number  of  American  scouts  en- 
gaged with  Gen.  Carr.  What  provoked  this  nationalized 
quarrel  was  Buffalo  Bill's  appointment  as  chief  of  the 
combined  force  of  scouts,  with  Wild  Bill  as  assistant. 
The  quarrel  increased  in  bitterness  from  hour  to  hour 
until  at  length  one  day,  while  the  opposing  forces  were 
congregated  before  the  sutler's  store,  the  long  anticipated 
fight  was  precipitated  by  Buffalo  Bill  knocking  one  of 
the  insulting  Mexicans  an  honest  furlong.  A  moment 
after  he  was  attacked  by  the  entire  force  of  Mexican 
scouts,  whom  he  fought  with  great  success,  but  was  not 


LIFE    OF    BUFFALO    BILL.  323 

alone,  for  Wild  Bill  soon  put  in  his  oar,  followed  by  the 
other  American  scouts,  and  for  nearly  half  an  hour  there 
was  the  best  imitation  of  the  row  at  Tim  Finnigan's 
wake  ever  attempted  on  American  soil.  Every  man  did 
his  level  best  and  the  circus  was  consequently  a  big  suc- 
cess— for  the  American  scouts. 

The  command  remained  in  camp  along  the  Canadian 
until  March  had  approached,  when  seeing  there  were  no 
prospects  of  finding  any  more  turbulent  Indians,  Gen. 
Carr  moved  up  to  Ft.  Lyon.  Reaching  this  post,  Buf- 
falo Bill  obtained  a  thirty  days'  leave  of  absence  to  visit 
St.  Louis  where  his  family  was  then  temporarily  living. 
He  rode  to  Sheridan,  distant  one  hundred  and  forty  miles, 
on  a  government  mule,  and  taking  the  train  there  reached 
St.  Louis  in  due  time,  where  his  reception  was  very 
cordial. 

Upon  his  return  to  Ft.  Lyon,  Gen.  Carr  immediately 
accosted  him  as  follows  : 

"  Cody,  you  have  returned  at  a  most  opportune  time, 
for  your  services  are  just  now  badly  needed.  During 
our  stay  here  several  of  our  best  horses  have  been  stolen, 
and  though  I  have  sent  out  several  parties,  hoping  to 
capture  the  thieves  or  recover  some  of  our  stock,  not  one 
of  them  has  met  with  the  least  success.  Now  I  want  you 
to  make  an  effort/' 

"All  right,  General,  I'll  try." 

This  was  the  only  reply  returned  by  Bill,  but  he  at 
once  sought  those  who  had  been  after  the  thieves,  in  or- 
der to  question  them  regarding  the  trails,  if  any  had  been 
found.  Bill  Green,  an  old  scout  who  had  accompanied 
parties  sent  out  by  Gen.  Carr,  informed  him  that  he  had 
discovered  a  trail  leading  by  Old  Fort  Lyon,  but  could 
not  follow  it  on  account  of  the  high  grass  it  led  through. 

On  the  folio  wing  morning  Bill  started  after  the  thieves, 


324  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

accompanied  by  Green,  Jack  Farley  and  another  scout 
whose  name  cannot  be  recalled.  The  party  was  led  by 
Green  to  the  spot  where  high  grass  had  prevented  him 
from  following  it  further,  and  then  Bill  began  a  search- 
ing investigation  for  hoof  prints.  These  he  found, 
and  taking  up  the  trail  where  Green  had  lost  it,  followed 
on  for  several  miles  until  he  reached  a  thick  clump  of 
timber,  where  he  found  numerous  evidences  of  a  recent 
corral  of  horses.  But  singularly  enough,  not  a  single 
hoof  print  could  be  discovered  leading  in  any  direction 
from  the  corral. 

"Well,  boys,"  said  Bill,  "we  are  after  experienced 
h'orse  thieves  ;  that  I  know,  because  of  the  perfect  man- 
ner in  which  their  trail  is  covered.  We've  got  to  divide 
up  here  and  each  man  make  a  five-mile  circuit,  coming 
together  again  at  this  place  to  report." 

The  men  immediately  diverged  in  search  of  the  hidden 
trail,  which  Bill  found  in  the  sand  hills,  and  discovered 
that  the  thieves  were  moving  with  eight  horses  and  four 
mules.  The  party  having  met  again  as  agreed,  they 
started  out  on  the  rediscovered  trail  and  followed  it  with- 
out difficulty  to  Denver,  reaching  a  point  four  miles  from 
that  town  on  Thursday. 

"We  have  got  to  stop  here,"  remarked  Bill,  "because 
I  know  that  the  thieves  are  in  Denver,  and  as  Saturday 
is  the  great  horse  sales  day  in  that  place,  we  will  wait 
here  until  Friday  night  so  as  to  avert  suspicion,  and  catch 
them  when  the  horses  are  put  up  for  sale." 

Early  on  Saturday  morning  Bill  rode  into  Denver  with 
his  three  assistants  and  put  up  at  the  Elephant  Corral, 
overlooking  the  yard  where  all  the  auction  horse  sales 
were  made.  After  taking  a  survey  of  his  position  he 
walked  out  into  the  yard,  where  he  soon  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  one  of  the  old  packers  in  Gen.  Carr'g  command 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO    BILL.  325 

ride  into  the  corral  on  a  racing  mule,  belonging  to  Lieut. 
Forbush,  and  leading  another.  Bill  waited  for  several 
minutes,  expecting  to  see  the  thief's  confederate  put  in 
an  appearance,  but  as  the  mule  was  being  bid  on  action 
could  no  longer  be  deferred. 

Pushing  through  the  crowd,  Bill  approached  the  thief, 
firho ,  recognizing  him,  attempted  to  escape,  but  the  keen- 
.gyed  scout  divined  his  intention,  and  seizing  him,  cried : 

"  Stop,  or  I'll  have  to  kill  you  here  ;  come  along  with 
/ne." 

This  action  was  a  surprise  to  those  attending  the  auc- 
tion, and  they  demanded  an  explanation,  which  being 
given,  the  thief,  whose  name  was  Williams,  was  taken 
off  three  miles  down  the  Platte  river.  Here,  having 
found  a  dense  thicket  suited  for  their  purposes,  Bill  pre- 
pared a  noose  with  which  he  intended  to  hang  Williams 
if  he  refused  to  reveal  the  whereabouts  of  his  confed- 
erates. 

Seeing  that  his  captors  were  in  earnest,  Williams  made 
a  complete  disclosure  of  his  operations,  telling  the  party 
that  he  had  but  one  partner  in  the  horse-stealing  enter- 
prise, and  that  he  might  be  found  at  a  deserted  cabin 
about  four  miles  further  down  the  river.  The  rope  was 
now  taken  down  from  the  limb  which  suspended  it,  and 
taking  Williams  along  with  them,  the  party  proceeded 
on  down  the  river  until  the  place  they  had  been  directed 
to  was  reached.  At  the  moment  Green  discovered  the 
old  cabin,  Bill's  alert  eyes  fell  on  ten  head  of  the  stolen 
horses,  all  tethered  and  grazing  close  about  the  house. 
A-s  the  party  rode  up,  the  occupant,  hearing  unusual 
noises,  came  to  the  door  with  pistol  in  hand.  But  Bill's 
rifle  instantly  covered  him  and  the  command,  "  Throw 
tip  your  hands,  Bevins,  or  I'll  kill  you,"  made  the  thief 
yield  at  once. 


32(5  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

This  confederate  of  Williams' ,  whose  name  was  Bev\ 
ins,  had  also  been  a  packer  in  Gen.  Carr's  expedition 
and  was  well-known  to  Buffalo  Bill,  and,  it  may  be 
added,  he  also  knew  Bill,  and  it  was  this  mutual  recog- 
nition which  convinced  the  thief  how  useless  it  would  be 
to  make  any  show  of  resistance. 

A  search  of  the  old  cabin  resulted  in  the  recovery  of 
several  saddles,  lariets,  blankets,  and  two  Henry  rifles. 
All  the  recovered  horses  and  mules  were  then  tied  to- 
gether, and  with  Williams  and  Bevins  well  secured,  the 
party  returned  to  Denver.  Passing  one  night  in  that 
place  they  started  out  for  Ft.  Lyon,  making  seventeen 
miles  the  first  day  and  camping  at  Cherry  Creek. 

Notwithstanding  it  was  late  in  April  the  weather  was 
very  cold,  and  a  big  fire  was  made  up  before  which  all 
but  a  single  guard  lay  down  to  sleep. 

At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  it  began  to  snow  quite 
hard  and  an  increase  of  covering  was  necessary.  The 
prisoners  were  apparently  sound  asleep,  and  there  being 
a  constant  guard  it  was  not  deemed  necessary  to  tie 
them.  At  three  o'clock,  while  Farley  was  on  watch, 
Bevins,  seizing  upon  the  opportunity,  struck  the  guard  a 
violent  blow  and  leaping  over  the  fire  sped  swiftly  away. 
The  noise  awakened  Cody  just  as  Williams  started  to 
join  his  companion,  but  Bill  knocked  him  down  and  then 
sent  an  ineffectual  shot  after  the  escaping  thief.  In  the 
flight  Bevins  accidently  dropped  one  of  his  shoes  and  was 
therefore  barefooted,  a  condition  which  put  him  at  great 
disadvantage  in  the  pursuit  which  followed. 

Leaving  Williams  in  charge  of  Farley  and  the  'other 
scout,  Bill  and  Green  quickly  saddled  their  horses  and 
set  out  after  Bevins.  They  found  his  trail  hard  to  fol- 
low in  the  darkness,  but  had  no  difficulty  after  daylight, 
owing  to  the  imprints  in  the  snow.  After  going  several 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BELL.  327 

miles  the  blood  stains  clearly  showed  that  the  fugitive's 
unprotected  foot  was  being  lacerated  by  the  sharp  stones 
and  prickly-pears,  but  notwithstanding  this  he  was  mak- 
ing fast  time. 

The  pursuers  had  traveled  rapidly  for  more  than  twelve 
miles  before  they  came  in  sight  of  the  fleeing  thief,  on  a 
ridge,  near  the  Platte  river.  Bill  commanded  him  to  halt, 
under  pain  of  being  shot,  and  knowin  g  who  was  handling 
the  rifle  drawn  on  him,  Bevins  at  once  sat  down  and  be- 
gan pulling  the  sharp  needles  from  his  terribly  lacerated 
feet.  Taking  their  recaptured  prisoner  back  to  the  Cher- 
ry Creek  branch  (Bill  allowing  Bevins  to  ride  his  own 
horse  out  of  compassion  for  the  painful  condition  of  his 
feet),  the  party  took  up  their  march  again  toward  Ft. 
Lyon. 

On  the  following  night  Williams  made  his  escape  while 
the  scout  whose  name  is  not  remembered  was  on  duty, 
and  though  earnest  pursuit  was  given  he  was  not  recap- 
tured. 

With  the  remaining  prisoner  the  party  reached  Ft. 
Lyon,  and  after  turning  over  the  recovered  stock  to  Gen. 
Carr,  Bevins  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  civil  authorities. 
He  was  confined  in  a  log  jail  at  Boggs'  ranch,  from  which 
he  escaped  in  a  few  days,  just  as  Bill  had  predicted.  In 
1872,  however,  Bevins  was  captured  again,  together  with 
several  other  notorious  outlaws  of  his  gang  who  had  been 
robbing  stage  coaches  in  the  country  north  of  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad,  and  he  is  now  serving  a  life  sentence  in 
the  Nebraska  penitentiary. 


328  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

IT  was  only  a  few  days  after  Buffalo  Bill's  arrival  at 
Ft.  Lyon  with  the  stolen  horses  and  his  prisoner,  that  the 
Fifth  cavalry  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Ft.  McPherson, 
in  Nebraska,  for  operations  in  the  department  of  the 
Platte.  The  command  prepared  for  the  march  at  once, 
Bill  taking  the  advance  and  maintaining  it  throughout  the 
entire  journey.  After  marching  several  days  the  regi- 
ment approached  the  valley  drained  by  the  north  fork  of 
Beaver  creek  where  Cody  discovered  fresh  and  numerous 
Indian  signs  from  which  he  estimated  there  were  not  less 
than  four  hundred  lodges,  or  three  thousand  Indians,  in 
the  immediate  vicinity.  Riding  back  to  Gen.  Carr  he 
requested  him  to  halt  in  the  valley  and  wait  until  he  could 
reconnoitre  and  locate  the  savages.  Accordingly  Lieut. 
Ward,  with  twelve  men,  was  sent  out  on  the  trail  with 
Bill  and  followed  it  along  the  creek  bank  for  a  distance 
of  twelve  miles.  Then  leaving  their  horses,  Bill  and  the 
Lieutenant  crawled  carefully  to  the  apex  of  a  high  knoll, 
from  which  point  of  observation  they  discovered  a  very 
large  Indian  village  not  more  than  three  miles  distant, 
while  to  the  left  less  than  half  a  mile  was  an  Indian  hunt- 
ing party  riding  ponies  heavily  laden  with  buffalo  meat. 

Examination  convinced  the  two  white  men  that  their 
position  was  not  particularly  safe,  as  the  Indians  seemed 
to  be  running  in  every  direction.  Bill  hastily  wrote  a 
dispatch  which  he  gave  to  Lieutenant  Ward,  asking  its 
immediate  transmission  to  Gen.  Carr.  One  of  the  sol- 
diers was  detailed  for  the  purpose,  but  he  had  ridden 
back  less  than  a  mile  when  several  shots  were  heard  and 
soon  the  dispatch  courier  was  seen  riding  for  life  around 
the  bend  of  the  creek,  closely  pursued  by  6*ve  Indians. 


LIFE    OF    BUFFALO    BILL. 


329 


Bill  and  the  Lieutenant,  followed  by  the  soldiers,  dashed 
out  after  the  red-skins  and  giving  a  well-directed  volley, 
killed  one  of  them  and  drove  the  others  across  the 
creek. 

As  the  badly  scared  messenger  came  up  to  the  party, 
Bill  said  sharply : 


Buffalo  Bill  tries  a  Shot  at  Long  Range. 

"  Lieutenant,  give  me  that  dispatch,  I'll  carry  it 
through,"  and  taking  the  message,  he  rode  rapidly  to- 
ward the  regiment,  but  had  proceeded  only  a  short  dis- 
tance when  he  discovered  a  dozen  Indians  carrying  buf- 
falo meat  on  their  ponies.  In  order  to  make  th«m 


330  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

lieve  he  was  accompanied  by  a  large  force,  Bill  acted  oa 
the  aggressive  and  delivered  a  shot  at  long  range.  The 
Indians  at  first  showed  no  inclination  to  fight,  but  seeing 
only  one  man  they  cut  loose  their  burdens  and  dashed 
after  the  bold  scout.  But  pursuit  on  already  jaded  po* 
nies  was  useless,  and  Bill,  after  drawing  them  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, dashed  off,  leaving  the  Indians  far  behind  and  get* 
ting  safely  into  camp,  delivered  the  message  to  Gen. 
Carr. 

Eight  companies  were  instantly  ordered  to  saddle  up, 
the  other  two  being  left  in  charge  of  the  train.  They 
rode  swiftly  to  the  relief  of  Lieutenant  Ward,  but  met 
him  returning,  within  three  miles  of  camp  ;  he  reported 
an  engagement  with  fifteen  Indian  hunters,  one  of  whom 
he  had  killed,  and  wounded  one  pony.  The  companies 
kept  straighten,  however,  and  after  going  two  miles 
further  they  met  a  force  of  one  thousand  Indians,  pre- 
pared for  battle,  approaching  up  the  creek. 

Gen.  Carr  ordered  an  immediate  charge,  accompany- 
ing the  order  with  instructions  to  break  through  the  line 
of  Indians  and  charge  on  to  the  village  without  stopping. 
The  French  Lieutenant,  Schinosky,  unfortunately,  failed 
to  comprehend  the  order,  and  instead  of  charging 
through  with  the  command,  vigorously  attacked  the  In- 
dians' left  flank,  where  he  was  quickly  surrounded  by  a 
large  body  of  the  enemy  with  every  assurance  of  being 
annihilated.  Gen.  Carr  discovered  Schinosky 's  danger 
barely  in  time  to  charge  back  to  his  rescue.  But  in  thL. 
fiasco  several  soldiers  and  horses  were  killed  and  the  In* 
dian  village  given  time  to  get  so  far  away  that  further? 
pursuit  was  impracticable  that  day,  which  was  already 
nearly  spent. 

Couriers  had  been  sent  back,  ordering  the  detail  of  two 
companies  to  follow  up  with  the  supply  train,  but  as  they 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  331 

did  not  appear  it  was  gravely  feared  that  they  had  been 
surrounded  by  Indians  and  were  either  besieged  or  had 
fallen  victims  to  a  terrible  fate.  It  became  necessary 
therefore  to  return  to  the  camp.  Singularly  enough,  this 
order  had  been  also  misunderstood,  and  the  night  was 
spent  in  Beaver  Valley. 

On  the  following  day  pursuit  was  renewed  and  kept  up 
for  two  days,  when  a  war  party  was  again  discovered  by 
an  advance  company,  and  some  lively  fighting  ensued.1 
The  Indians  were  now  pressed  so  hard  that  they  threw 
away  all  their  camp  utensils  and  equipage  and  left  behind 
them  several  head  of  exhausted  ponies.  As  a  last  resort, 
the  village  separated,  taking  so  many  dfferent  trails  that 
pursuit  was  given  over  and  the  command  went  to  Fort 
McPherson,  to  prepare  for  another  expedition  along  the 
Republican  river. 

While  encamped  at  McPherson  the  command  was  rein- 
forced by  three  hundred  Pawnee  scouts,  under  command 
of  Major  Frank  J.  North,  one  of  the  best  executive 
officers,  as  well  also  as  one  of  the  bravest  men  that  ever 
carved  a  route  through  the  great  West.  In  this  connec- 
tion I  cannot  help  indulging  what  I  know  will  be  a  par- 
donable degression,  in  order  that  some  of  the  qualities  of 
this  brave  officer  may  be  at  least  alluded  to. 

Major  North,  though  born  in  New  York,  March  10, 
1840,  is  nevertheless  a  thoroughly  Western  man  in  all 
his  training.  His  father  removed  from  New  York  to 
Nebraska,  settling  near  Columbus,  in  the  winter  of  1856- 
57,  and  directly  thereafter  was  frozen  to  death  at  Emi- 
grant Crossing,  on  Big  Pampillion  Creek,  while  trying  to 
secure  wood  for  his  suffering  family. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  his  father  young  North 
joined  a  party  of  trappers,  McMurray,  Glass  and  Mes- 
senger, and  began  taking  beaver  and  otter  on  the  tribu- 
20 


332  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS, 

tarieg  of  Platte  river,  but  meeting  with  indifferent  suc- 
cess, returned  to  Columbus  and  engaged  in  anything  that 
promised  remuneration,  as  the  family  was  almost  entirely 
dependent  on  him  for  support. 

In  1860,  being  now  twenty  years  of  age,  Frank  pro- 
cured employment  with  Agent  DePuy,  at  the  Pawnee 
Indian  Reservation.  Here,  while  performing  his  other 
duties,  he  acquired  such  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 


Maj.  Frank  J.  North. 

Pawnee  language  that  in  the  following  year  he  waa 
engaged  as  interpreter  by  Mr,  Rudy,  son-ia-law  of  the 
Indian  Commissioner. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Sioux  war  in  1864,  Gen. 
Curtis,  commanding  the  Sixteenth  and  Twelfth  Kansas 
Cavalry,  commissioned  Mr.  North  to  organize  the  Paw- 
nee scouts,  who  were  not  only  friendly  to  the  Govern- 


LIFE   OF  BUFFAJLO   BILL.  333 

ment  but  inveterate  foei  of  the  Sioux.  Under  this  au- 
thority he  enlisted  seventy-seven  young  warriors  and 
organized  a  company  of  which  he  was  made  First 
Lieutenant.  This  was  the  first  enlistment  ever  made  of 
Indians  for  regular  Government  service,  and  while  Lieut. 
North  is  entitled  to  this  honor,  it  is  with  regret  I  have  to 
add  that  he  never  received  a  cent  for  his  services,  neither 
did  his  Indian  warriors  receive  any  pay,  though  they 
were  promised  by  Gen.  Curtis,  upon  enlistment,  that 
they  should  receive  the  same  as  cavalrymen. 

In  the  latter  part  of  October  following,  acting  under 
orders  from  Gen.  Custer,  Lieut.  North  enlisted  one  hun- 
dred more  Pawnee  warriors,  who  were  then  equipped 
like  the  regular  cavalry,  and  North  was  commissioned 
Captain. 

On  the  thirteenth  of  January,  1865,  the  company  was 
mustered  into  service,  the  delay  being  due  to  difficulties 
regarding  their  acceptance  by  the  Government,  but  when 
regularly  put  on  the  muster  rolls  Capt.  North  began  ac- 
tive operations.  Learning  of  depredations  being  made 
by  the  Sioux  in  the  neighborhood  of  Julesburg,  he  took 
forty  of  his  Pawnees  and  proceeded  directly  to  the  scene 
of  trouble.  On  the  route  to  Julesburg  he  was  horrified 
to  find  the  bodies  of  no  less  than  fourteen  white  persons, 
pilgrims  on  their  way  to  Pike's  Peak,  mutilated  beyond 
recognition ;  their  scalps  torn  off,  tongues  cut  out,  legs 
cut  open  and  bodies  full  of  arrows.  Julesburg  had  also 
been  attacked  and  the  garrison  was  on  the  point  of  yield- 
ing when  rescued.  North  now  pushed  after  the  Sioux 
with  all  possible  speed,  and  meeting  with  twenty-eight  of 
the  incarnate  devils,  he  fell  upon  them  with  such  irresist- 
ible force  that  not  a  single  Sioux  in  the  party  escaped 
his  vengeance. 

These  Indians  whom  North  had  thus  annihilated  were 


334  HEROES    OF   THB   PLAINS. 

a  predatory  band  from  Red  Cloud's  forces,  and  had  done 
an  inestimable  amount  of  damage  through  the  section 
they  had  invaded.  Only  a  few  days  previous  to  their 
disastrous  meeting  with  Capt.  North,  this  same  party  had 
suddenly  attacked  Lieutenant  Collins,  with  fourteen 
men,  and  killed  the  entire  party. 

Shortly  after  this  successful  sortie  Captain  North  was 
ordered  to  pursue  a  body  of  twelve  Cheyennes  and  pun- 
ish them  for  atrocities  committed  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Ft.  Sedgwick.  Taking  twenty  of  his  Pawnees  he  got  on 
the  Cheyenne  trail  and  after  following  it  about  thirty 
miles,  came  up  with  the  enemy  whom  he  found  in  line  of 
battle.  At  the  first  volley,  however,  the  Cheyennes 
fled,  followed  bard  by  Capt.  North.  In  this  pursuit  the 
Pawnees  were  unable  to  keep  up  with  their  captain,  as 
their  horses  were  too  badly  jaded  to  endure  extra  riding ; 
Capt.  North,  however,  was  mounted  on  a  superior 
animal,  and  being  full  of  desperate  pluck,  was  deter- 
mined to  kill  one  Cheyenne  at  least.  Looking  back,  at 
length,  he  saw  his  men  fully  a  mile  behind  him,  and  sev- 
eral of  them  dismounted.  Realizing  the  danger  of  his 
position,  he  took  deliberate  aim  and  fired  at  the  Chey- 
ennes, one  of  whom  tumbled  from  his  pony  dead.  At 
this  the  other  Indians  turned  on  the  Captain  and  he  was 
compelled  to  flee  for  his  life. 

The  Indians  rode  rapidly  after  him,  shooting  con- 
stantly, until  a  bullet  struck  the  Captain's  horse  in  the 
side,  rendering  him  unfit  for  further  travel.  Leaping  to 
the  ground,  Captain  North  used  his  horse  for  a  breast- 
work,  from  which  he  fired  until  the  position  had  become 
too  dangerous.  He  then  started  to  run,  but  after  getting 
several  yards  he  remembered  the  two  holsters  on  the 
saddle,  each  containing  a  loaded  revolver,  and  he  boldly 
returned  for  these.  With  these  pistols  he  fought  tbf 

i 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  335 

Uheyennes  nearly  half  an  hour  longer,  and  until  relieved 
by  Lieut.  Small.  This  fight,  one  of  the  most  daring  ever 
made,  is  still  spoken  of,  and  the  story  frequently  told 
over  and  over  again  among  Western  men,  who  almost 
reverence  the  name  of  Frank  J.  North. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Tongue  River  campaign  in 
1865-66,  the  Pawnees  were  mustered  out  of  service  and 
Captain  North  was  appointed  Post  Trader  at  the  Pawnee 
Reservation,  where  he  spent  the  winter  of  1866-67. 

In  March  following,  while  acting  under  the  orders  of 
Gen.  Auger,  Captain  North  raised  a  battalion  of  two 
nundred  Pawnees,  who  were  divided  into  four  companies 
and  taken  to  Fort  Kearney,  where  they  were  equipped 
for  cavalry  service.  He  was  then  given  a  Major's  com- 
mission, and  with  his  Indian  soldiers  guarded  construc- 
tion trains  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  until  its  com- 
pletion to  Ogden.  In  this  service  he  was  engaged  almost 
constantly  with  depredating  Sioux  and  Cheyennes,  who 
descended  on  the  construction  trains  at  every  opportu- 
nity. After  the  road  had  reached  Utah,  large  shipments 
of  silver  were  being  made  almost  weekly,  and  as  this 
precious  metal  was  brought  into  stations  in  large  bricks, 
which,  for  want  of  other  storage,  was  usually  piled  up 
on  and  about  the  platforms  to  await  shipment,  Major 
North's  Indians  had  also  to  perform  the  duty  of  guarding 
the  precious  metal. 

When  the  road  was  completed,  Major  North  retired  to 
a  ranche  on  Dismal  River,  sixty-five  miles  north  of  North 
Platte,  where  he  went  into  the  cattle  raising  business. 
He  needed  some  quiet  occupation,  because  of  a  disease — 
asthma — which  had  been  slowly  sapping  his  existence 
for  several  years  and  which  he  had  lost  all  hope  of  re- 
lieving. Buffalo  Bill,  after  his  first  meeting  with  Major 
florth.  at  Fort  McPherson,  served  with  him  on  several 


HEROES   OF   THE 


campaigns,  and  in  this  service  a  very  warm  friendship 
•prang  up  between  them,  which  led  to  the  formation  of 
a  copartnership  in  the  cattle  ranche  on  Dismal  River, 
which  still  continues.  The  firm  of  Cody  &  North  is 
Known  among  cattle  men  in  every  part  of  America  ;  they 
now  have  seven  thousand  head  of  cattle  and  four  hun- 


Silver  Bricks  Awaiting  Shipment 


Ired  head  of  horses,  and  to  every  one  who  calls  at  th© 
Dismal  Ranche  there  is  a  hearty,  white  man's  welcome. 
Major  North,  aside  from  his  reputation  as  an  Indian 
fighter  and  brave  man,  is  a  gentleman  of  the  most  gen- 
erous and  noble  instincts  ;  popular  with  all  classes,  and  a 
friend  honest  and  honorable  to  the  end. 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO  BIUL.  337 

Returning  to  the  regular  narrative,  Buffalo  Bill  remain- 
ed at  Ft.  McPherson  for  several  days,  during  which  time 
he  made  the  acquaintance  of  all  the  officers  of  that  post, 
among  whom  was  Lieut.  Geo.  P.  Belden,  the  "  White 
Chief/'  whose  wonderful  adventures  have  been  so  graph- 
ically recited  in  a  large  work  written  by  Gen.  James  S. 
Brisbin,  U.  S.A. 

Belden,  being  a  crack  rifle-shot  and  having  heard  much 
concerning  Buffalo  Bill's  skill,  became  anxious  for  a  con- 
test in  order  that  the  excellence  of  their  marksmanship 
might  be  determined.  It  was  therefore  scarcely  an  hour 
after  they  were  introduced  to  each  other  before  Belden 
had  challenged  Bill  for  a  rifle  match,  which  was  as  prompt- 
ly accepted.  The  terms  and  arrangements  were  that 
they  should  first  shoot  ten  shots  at  a  distance  of  two  hun- 
dred yards,  without  rest,  for  fifty  dollars  a  side.  Fol- 
lowing this  should  be  another  match  at  one  hundred  yards 
on  the  same  terms.  Buffalo  Bill  won  the  first  wager  on 
an  excellent  margin,  but  Belden  brought  up  his  averages 
well  by  winning  the  second  match,  and  with  this  standoff 
the  crowd  of  spectators  pronounced  them  both  such  supe- 
rior shots  that  neither  could  be  beaten . 

Gen.  Carr,  before  leaving  McPherson,  desired  to  man- 
ifest his  appreciation  of  the  valuable  services  rendered 
him  by  Buffalo  Bill,  and  as  the  command  was  soon  to 
start  on  another  long  expedition,  it  occurred  to  him  that 
it  would  be  an  honor  and  excellent  service  to  the  army  at 
the  same  time  to  have  Buffalo  Bill  appointed  chief  of 
scouts  in  the  Department  of  the  Platte.  Accordingly 
Gen.  Carr  made  the  necessary  recommendation  to  Gen. 
Auger  who  at  once  issued  the  commission,  allowing  Bill  a 
large  increase  of  pay  over  the  amount  he  received  as 
chief  of  scouts  in  the  Department  of  Missouri.  This  rec- 
ognition of  his  services  greatly  pleased  the  heroic  scout, 


338  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

especially  as  the  appointment  was  made  without  his  solic- 
itation or  knowledge  that  it  was  even  thought  of. 

It  was  late  in  the  summer  when  the  command  started 
on  an  expedition  through  the  Kepublican  river  country, 
and  the  heat  interfered  somewhat  with  its  progress.  It 
was  certainly  an  interesting,  as  well  as  laughable,  sight  to 
see  Major  North's  Pawnees  equipped  for  cavalry  service. 
To  quote  from  the  autobiography  of  Buffalo  Bill:  "The 
Pawnee  scouts  were  also  reviewed,  and  it  was  very  amus- 
ing to  see  them  in  their  full  regulation  uniform.  They 
had  been  furnished  with  a  regular  cavalry  uniform,  and  on 
this  parade  some  of  them  had  their  heavy  overcoats  on, 
others  their  large  black  hats,  with  all  the  brass  accoutre- 
ments attached ;  some  of  them  were  minus  pantaloons 
and  only  wore  a  breech-clout.  Others  wore  regulation 
pantaloons  but  no  shirt,  and  were  bareheaded ;  others 
again  had  the  seat  of  their  pantaloons  cut  out,  leaving 
only  leggins  ;  some  wore  brass  spurs,  but  had  neither 
boots  nor  moccasins.  With  all  this  melange  of  oddity 
they  understood  the  drill  remarkably  well  for  Indians . 
The  commands,  of  course,  were  given  to  them  in  their 
own  language  by  Major  North,  who  could  talk  it  as  well 
as  any  lull  blooded  Pawnee." 

After  the  expedition  had  been  moving  for  several  days 
they  approached  near  the  mouth  of  Beaver  Creek,  where, 
the  day  being  far  advanced,  the  command  went  into 
camp.  A  herd  of  the  draught  mules  was  driven  down 
to  a  convenient  watering  place  several  hundred  yards 
from  the  camp ;  as  the  herd  was  drinking,  a  party  of 
fifty  Sioux  made  a  rapid  descent  on  the  herders,  one  of 
whom  they  shot  and  then  stamped  the  mules.  Buffalo 
Bill  instantly  leaped  on  his  horse,  bare-backed,  and 
started  for  the  scene  of  trouble,  regardless  of  Indians  or 
thought  of  danger.  As  he  dashed  down  through  the 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  389 

woods  he  was  astonished  to  see  the  Pawnees  come  flying 
by  him,  whooping,  and  in  red-hot  pursuit  of  their  im- 
placable enemies.  The  Sioux  had  seen  the  men  go  into 
camp  but  had  not  the  remotest  suspicion  that  any  Paw- 
nees were  present.  They  therefore  considered  it  fun  to 
make  a  sortie  on  the  herd,  stampede  the  mules  and  do 
other  damage,  and  then  flee  away  before  the  cavalry 
could  get  ready  to  follow  them.  The  Pawnees,  however, 
unlike  regular  soldiers,  did  not  wait  for  orders,  but  see- 
ing a  band  of  Sioux  their  enmity  overleaped  the  bounds 
of  discipline  and  they  were  bound  to  fight,  which  they 
did  over  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles,  killing  more  than  a 
dozen  of  the  Sioux. 

After  this  little  skirmish  the  expedition  continued  the 
march  up  Beaver  and  Prairie  Dog  rivers,  but  finding  only 
small  bands  of  apparently  harmless  Indians,  at  the  end 
of  twenty  days  the  command  returned  to  Ft.  McPherson. 
This  expedition,  though  proving  of  little  advantage  to 
the  army,  resulted  most  advantageously  to  Buffalo  Bill, 
as  it  was  the  running  fight  at  the  mouth  of  the  Beaver 
that  threw  into  his  way  "Old  Buckskin  Joe,"  ahorse 
which  afterward  gained  great  notoriety  in  connection 
with  Bill's  exploits. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  command  under  Gen.  Carr-  did  not  remain  long 
inactive  at  Ft.  McPherson,  for  within  one  day  after  their 
return  news  was  received  of  fresh  depredations  on  Re- 
publican river,  and  the  restless  spirit  of  the  troops,  who 
were  anxious  to  accomplish  something  more  glorious  than 


340  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

marches  and  counter  marches,  was  sufficient  excuse  for 
the  General  to  order  them  into  the  field  again. 

The  command  moved  westward  up  the  Republican, 
preceded  by  two  companies  of  Pawnees  under  Major 
North.  Reaching  Black  Tail  Deer  Fork  the  expedition 
went  into  camp,  but  before  the  shadows  of  night  had 
fallen,  the  Pawnees,  who  had  not  been  heard  from  for 
some  days,  came  riding  down  the  winding  stream  toward 
camp,  yelling  their  victorious  exultations,  and  waving 
many  reeking  scalps  above  their  heads.  After  they  had 
alighted  the  information  was  speedily  acquired,  that  Maj. 
North  and  his  Pawnees  had  run  into  a  foraging  party  of 
Sioux,  several  of  whom  they  had  killed.  But  a  much 
larger  body,  composing  in  fact  an  extensive  village,  was 
discovered  traveling  northward,  which  being  too  strong 
for  the  Pawnees  to  attack,  Maj.  North  had  ordered  a 
quick  return  to  the  camp  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a 
junction  and  entering  upon  a  pursuit. 

On  the  following  morning  the  troops  were  put  in  mo- 
tion, Buffalo  Bill,  with  a  squad  of  six  Pawnees,  taking 
the  lead  and  going  ahead  far  enough  to  warn  the  com- 
mand, by  courier,  should  the  Indians  be  discovered, 
thereby  giving  ample  time  to  prepare  for  a  charge. 

The  Sioux  trail  was  followed  for  two  days,  when,  pass- 
ing several  dying  camp  fires,  each  showing  a  more  recent 
kindling,  Bill  was  admonished  that  he  was  rapidly  gain- 
ing on  the  moving  village.  Coming,  at  length,  to  the 
sand  hills,  a  careful  and  cautious  survey  discovered  the 
Indians  encamped  at  Summit  Springs.  Bill  immediately 
posted  his  Pawnee  squad  and  rode  back  to  Gen.  Carr, 
who  was  ten  miles  in  the  rear,  with  report  of  the  Sioux 
position. 

There  was  much  bustle  among  the  troops  when  the  or- 
der was  issued  to  *«  tighten  saddles."  Every  cavalryman 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  341 

knew  what  that  order  meant,  and  the  Pawnees  under 
Major  North  could  scarcely  be  constrained.  Everything 
having  been  put  in  readiness,  the  command  pushed  for- 
ward rapidly  aftei  Buffalo  Bill,  who  led  the  way  in  a 
sharp  gallop. 

Reaching  within  a,  mile  of  the  unsuspecting  Sioux,  Bill 
changed  horses,  mounting  his  reliable  "  Buckskin  Joe," 
which  had  given  substantial  evidence  of  being  the 
swiftest  horse  with  Gen.  Carr's  expedition.  He  then  told 
the  General  to  follow  after  him  and  he  would  lead  the 
command  between  the  village  and  South  Platte  River,  by 
which  movement  the  intervening  hills  would  enable  them 
to  approach  so  near  as  to  give  the  Indians  a  complete 
surprise. 

Buffalo  Bill's  suggestions  were  adopted,  and  with  such 
success  that  the  charge  was  not  sounded  until  the  entire 
command  was  within  a  thousand  yards  of  the  Indians, 
who  were  just  preparing  to  move  on,  most  of  their 
horses  being  already  in  readiness.  For  a  moment 
the  Sioux  seemed  to  be  struck  dumb  with  astonish- 
ment at  beholding  such  an  array  of  cavalry  bearing  down 
upon  them.  A  few  attempted  to  meet  the  charge,  but 
only  for  an  instant,  when  they  wheeled  and  the  entire 
village  fled  precipitately.  But  luggage  and  incomplete 
preparation  impeded  their  flight,  and  ere  they  had  gone 
half  a  mile,  the  troops,  following  Buffalo  Bill,  were 
among  them,  shooting  right  and  left  with  terrible  effect. 

The  pursuit  continued  until  darkness  made  it  impossi- 
ble to  longer  follow  the  Indians,  who  had  scattered  and 
were  leading  off  in  every  direction  like  a  brood  of  young 
quails.  The  expedition  went  into  camp  along  the  South 
Platte,  much  exhausted  by  so  long  a  chase,  and  though 
very  tired,  every  trooper  seemed  anxious  for  the  morrow. 

it  was  nearly  sunrise  when  "  boots  and  saddles  "  was 


342  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

sounded,  breakfast  having  been  disposed  of  at  break  of 
day.     The   command  started  in  a  most  seasonable  timot 
but  finding  that  the  trail  was  all  broken  up,  it  was  deemed 
advisable  to  separate  into  companies,  each  to  follow  a  dif 
ferent  trail. 

The  company  headed  by  Buffalo  Bill  struck  out  toward 
the  Northwest  over  a  route  indicating  the  march  of  about 
one  hundred  Indians,  and  followed  this  fc?  nearly  two 
days.  At  a  short  bend  of  the  Platte  a  new  trail  was  dis- 
covered leading  into  the  one  the  company  was  following, 
and  at  this  point  it  was  evident  that  a  junction  had  been 
made.  Further  along  the  evidence  of  a  reunion  of  the 
entire  village  increased,  and  now  it  began  to  appear  that 
further  pursuit  would  be  somewhat  hazardous,  owing  to 
the  largely  increased  force  of  Indians.  But  there  were 
plenty  of  brave  men  in  the  company  and  nearly  all  were 
anxious  to  meet  the  Indians,  however  great  their  numbers 
might  be.  This  anxiety  was  appeased  on  the  third  day, 
when  a  party  of  about  six  hundred  Sioux  was  discovered 
riding  in  close  ranks  near  the  Platte.  The  discovery  was 
mutual  and  there  was  immediate  preparation  for  battle 
on  both  sides.  Owing  to  the  overwhelming  force  of  the 
Indians,  extreme  caution  became  necessary,  and  instead 
of  advancing  boldly  the  soldiers  sought  advantageous 
ground.  Seeing  this,  the  Indians  became  convinced  that 
there  had  been  a  division  in  Gen.  Carr's  command  and  that 
the  company  before  them  was  a  fragmentary  part  of  the 
expedition  ;  they  therefore  assumed  the  aggressive,  charg- 
ing the  soldiers  who  retired  to  a  ravine  to  act  on  the  de- 
fensive. The  attack  was  made  with  such  caution  that  the 
soldiers  fell  back  without  undue  haste,  and  had  ample 
opportunity  to  secure  their  horses  in  the  natural  pit, 
which  was  a  ravine  that  during  wet  seasons  formed  a 
branch  of  the  Platte. 


LIFE    OF    BUFFALO    BILL.  343 

After  circling  about  the  soldiers  with  the  view  of  meas- 
uring their  full  strength,  the  Indians,  comprehending  how 
small  was  the  number,  made  a  desperate  charge  from  two 
sides,  getting  so  near  that  several  of  the  soldiers  were 
badly  wounded  by  arrows .  But  the  Indians  were  received 
with  such  withering  fire  that  they  fell  back  in  confusion, 
leaving  twenty  of  their  warriors  on  the  ground.  Another 
charge  resulted  like  the  first,  with  heavy  loss  to  the  red 
skins,  which  so  discouraged  them  that  they  drew  off  and 
held  a  long  council .  After  discussing  the  situation  amorig 
themselves  for  more  than  an  hour  they  separated,  one 
body  making  off  as  though  they  intended  to  leave,  but 
Buffalo  Bill  understood  their  motions  too  well  to  allow 
the  soldiers  to  be  deceived. 

The  Indians  that  remained  again  began  to  ride  in  a 
circle  around  the  soldiers,  but  maintaining  a  safe  distance, 
out  of  rifle  range.  Seeing  an  especially  well  mounted 
Indian  riding  at  the  head  of  a  squad,  passing  around  in 
the  same  circle  more  than  a  dozen  times,  Buffalo  Bill 
decided  to  take  his  chances  for  dismounting  the  chief 
(as  he  proved  to  be),  and  to  accomplish  his  purpose  he 
crawled  on  his  hands  and  knees  three  hundred  yards  up 
the  ravine,  stopping  at  a  point  he  considered  would  be  in 
range  of  the  Indian  when  he  should  again  make  the  cir- 
cuit. His  judgment  proved  correct,  for  soon  the  Indian 
was  seen  loping  his  pony  through  the  grass,  and  as  he 
slackened  speed  to  cross  the  ravine,  Bill  rose  up  and 
fired,  the  aim  being  so  well  taken  that  the  chief  tumbled 
to  the  ground  while  his  horse,  after  running  a  few  hun- 
dred yards,  approached  the  soldiers,  one  of  whom  ran 
out  and  caught  hold  of  the  long  lariet  attached  to  the 
bridle,  and  thus  secured  the  animal.  Bill  returned  to  the 
company,  all  of  whom  had  witnessed  his  feat  of  killing  an 
Indian  at  a  range  of  fully  four  hundred  yards,  and  by 


344 


HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 


general  consent  the  horse  of  his  victim  was  given  to  him. 
Tnis  Indian  killed  by  Bill  proved  to  be  Tall  Bull,  one 
of  the  most  cunning  and  able  chiefs  the  Sioux  ever  had, 
anc.  uis  death  so  affected  the  Indians  that  they  at  once  re- 
treated without  further  attempt  to  dislodge  the  soldiers. 

Some  days  after  this  occurrence 
Gen.  Carr's  command  was  brought 
together  again  and  in   an  engage- 
ment with   the    Sioux,  more   than 
three  hundred  warriors  and  a  large 
number  of    ponies  were  captured, 
together     with     several     hundred 
squaws,      among 
the   latter    being 
Tall  Bull's  wi& 
ow,     who      told 
with  pathetic  in- 
terest     how    the 
Prairie       Chief  * 
had     killed     her 
husband.        But 
instead  of  being 
moved   with   ha- 
tred against  him, 
as  most  civilized 


women  would 
have  been  under 
like  circumstan- 
ces, she  regarded 
him  with  special 
favor,  and  es- 


Death  of  Tall  Bull. 

teemed  it  quite  an  honor  that  her  husband,  a  great  war- 
rior himself,  should  have  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of 
so  mighty  and  celebrated  a  person  as  the  Prairie  Chief. 
She  ever  afterward  regarded  Buffalo  Bill  with  a  feeling 
akin  to  tender  affection,  or  as  near  that  sentiment  as  an 
Indian  squaw  could  be  expected  to  approach,  and  invari- 
ably availed  herself  of  every  opportunity  to  show  her 
esteem  for  him. 


"Buffalo  Bill  is  known  among  all  Northern  Indians  as  the  Prairie  Chief. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  345 

The  expedition  having  succeeded  in  thoroughly  break- 
ing  the  power  of  the  Sioux,  Gen.  Carr  went  into  bar- 
racks at  Ft.  Sedgwick,  where  the  soldiers,  elated  with 
the  trophies  of  their  success,  indulged  in  merrymaking 
until  a*  jollier  camp  was  never  seen  than  that  around 
Jule's  old  ranche.  One  special  feature  of  this  glorious 
celebration  was  horse  racing,  in  which  Buffalo  Bill  backed 
his  new  acquisition,  which,  in  honor  of  his  dead  owner, 
Bill  generously  called  Tall  Bull,  against  all  the  horses  of 
the  regiment,  and  put  up  all  his  available  cash,  even  to 
the  last  paper  five-cent  piece.  His  winnings  amounted 
to  just  seven  hundred  dollars  in  cash,  three  jack  knives, 
two  scalps  and  a  two-stringed  fiddle. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

GEN.  CARR  having  received  a  leave  of  absence, 
hi«  command  reached  Ft.  McPherson  Gen.  W.  H.  Kmory 
took  charge  of  the  Republican  River  District,  and  the 
Fifth  Cavalry  went  into  regular  quarters. 

Buffalo  Bill  being  assured  that  the  command  would 
remain  at  McPherson  as  a  reward  for  the  long  and  severe 
labor  performed  by  the  regiment,  had  a  house  built,  and 
then  sent  for  his  wife  and  daughter,  who  were  in  St. 
Louis,  to  come  to  him,  as  McPherson  would  now  be  their 
home. 

Two  years  passed  without  the  occurrence  of  any  eveut 
of  special  interest  connected  with  Buffalo  Bill,  his  time 
being  spent  in  hunting  and  home  occupations. 

In  the  winter  of  1869-70  Bill  accompanied  two  parties 
of  wealthy  Englishmen  upon  a  hunting  expedition,  in 


346  HEROES    OF   THE  PLAINS . 

which  he  acquitted  himself  with  such  credit  and  satisfac- 
tion that  upon  returning  home  the  Englishmen  sounded 
his  praises  so  earnestly  that  letters  began  to  pour  in  from 
other  wealthy  gentlemen  of  England  propounding  hun- 
dreds of  questions  appertaining  to  hunting  on  the  great 
Western  prairies. 

During  the  visit  of  the  Englishmen,  a  horse  race  was 
arranged  at  Ft.  McPherson,  to  take  place  between  Buf- 
falo Bill,  who  was  to  ride  Tall  Bull,  and  a  cavalryman 
who  owned  what  he  considered  a  fast  horse.  There  was 
a  singular  feature  about  this  race,  however,  which  was  a 
stipulation  that  while  running  Bill  should  leap  from  his 
horse  to  the  ground  and  then  remount  again  eight  con- 
secutive times  before  completing  the  course,  which  was 
one  mile  in  length.  His  advantage  seemed  so  great  that 
every  one  bet  on  the  cavalryman ;  in  fact,  few  believed 
Bill  was  circus  man  enough  to  perform  this  feat,  and  none 
believed  it  less  than  the  Englishmen .  But  the  race  was  run 
according  to  programme,  and  Bill  won  it  easily,  together 
with  several  hundred  dollars  from  his  foreign  guests. 
Leaping  and  remounting  from  a  running  horse  is  an  act 
as  easy  for  Buffalo  Bill  to  perform  as  it  is  por  a  profes- 
sional bareback  rider  to  assume  a  standing  osition  on  a 
moving  horse. 

In  the  spring  of  1870  a  party  of  Indians  nade  a  de- 
scent on  a  stock  ranche  near  McPherson  and  succeeded 
in  running  off  twenty-one  head  of  horses,  and  coming 
closer  to  the  post  during  night,  also  got  away  with  an- 
other fast  horse  owned  by  Cody,  which  he  called  Powder 
Face.  * 

The  moment  this  loss  was  discovered,  Company  I  was 
ordered  to  pursue  the  thieves,  Buffalo  Bill  being  sent 
with  the  soldiers  as  trailer.  An  early  start  was  made  and 
so  fast  did  the  company  move  that  they  covered  sixty 


LIFE    OP   BUFFALO   BILL.  347 

miles  before  sundown.  An  encampment  was  made  within 
four  miles  of  Red  Willow  Creek,  on  the  banks  of  which 
Bill  expressed  his  earnest  belief  that  the  Indian  thieves 
were  camped.  But  to  verify  his  suspicions  he  made  an 
investigation,  unaccompanied,  during  the  night,  and  sure 
enough  he  found  them,  with  guard  posted,  about  four 
miles  from  the  company's  camp. 

Having  located  the  Indians,  he  returned  to  the  camp 
jmd  posting  the  soldiers,  arranged  matters  for  an  attack 


Two  Indians  at  One  Shot 

Ufore  daylight  on  the  following  morning.  His  pro- 
gramme was  carried  out  with  such  success  that  the  cavalry, 
wtich  he  headed,  rode  with  shout,  pistol  afcd  saber  into 
the  Indian  village  just  as  the  gray  dawn  was  appearing. 
Sharp  work  succeeded,  in  which  there  was  a  rapid  deci- 
mation of  the  red  race.  Several  Indians,  however,  suc- 
ceeded in  mounting  ponies  and  a  pursuit  ensued  in 
which  Buffalo  Bill  took  a  specially  interesting  part,  as 
in 


348  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

Ms  Powder  Face  carried  one  of  the  fleeing  thieves.  Dur- 
ing this  interesting  race  Bill  ran  down  two  Indians  who 
were  riding  the  same  pony,  and  by  a  skillful  shot  sent  a 
rifle  ball  through  both  their  bodies,  felling  them  to  the 
ground  still  locked  together.  But  Powder  Face  being 
the  swiftest  horse  among  the  cavalry,  Bill  was  compelled, 
with  chagrin  and  mortification,  to  see  the  thief  who  rode 
him  disappear  in  the  distance. 

The  pursuit  terminated  with  excellent  results,  for  all 
the  stolen  horses  were  recovered  except  Powder  Face,  and 
more  than  a  dozen  Indian  scalps  were  brought  back  ao  a 
compensation  for  that  loss — and  they  all  belonged  to 
Bin,  too. 

Soon  after  this  most  successful  surprise  an  expedition 
was  organized  to  again  penetrate  the  Republican  river 
country,  the  command  being  entrusted  to  Gen.  Thomas 
Duncan,  who  was  first  officer  under  Brevet  Maj.  Gen. 
Emory.  Now,  it  chanced  that  Gen.  Duncan,  while  one 
of  the  best  and  bravest  soldiers,  was  a  rigid  discipline 
rian,  and  at  the  same  time  full  of  eccentricities.  In  fact 
he  had  but  to  be  sounded  when  immediately  there  would 
escape  so  much  good  humor  and  infectious  jokes  that  the 
whole  regiment  would  be  almost  paralyzed  with  uncon- 
trolable  laughter.  There  was  fun  ahead  for  the  boys, 
though  duty  was  always  imperative  with  their  commander. 

The  expedition  was  accompanied  by  Maj.  North's  Paw- 
nee scouts,  who,  while  they  had  done  genuine  fighting 
service,  had  never  been  placed  on  guard  duty.  But  Gen. 
Duncan  was  determined  that  they  should  be  in  every 
sense  thorough  soldiers,  and  consequently  the  Pawnees 
must  be  initiated.  Of  course,  being  with  white  men  only 
for  a  short  season,  and  having  an  officer  over  them  who 
was  fluent  in  their  own  language,  the  Pawnees  were  abso- 
lutely ignorant  of  English,  save  to  repeat,  like  a  parrot, 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  340 

a  few  words  which  they  heard  frequently  used.  But  thi» 
fact  was  ignored  by  Gen.  Duncan,  who  ordered  the  guard 
stationed  around  camp  and  that  every  post  should  call 
each  hour  of  the  night  as  it  was  sounded,  thus : 

"Post  No.  1,  ten  o'clock,  all  is  well."  "Post  No.  2, 
ten  o'clock,  all  is  well,"  and  so  on,  until  the  entire  guard 
had  made  the  call. 

This  order  was  explained  to  the  Pawnees  by  Maj. 
North,  but  with  all  his  explanations  they  could  not  com- 
prehend the  meaning,  or  if  comprehending,  their  igno- 
rance of  English  prevented  them  from  executing  the  or- 
der with  intelligence.  The  result  was  as  follows : 

The  hour  being  called  by  one  of  the  soldiers,  the  In- 
dian occupying  the  adjoining  post  would  sing  out  through 
a  distorted  remembrance : 

"Ploss  numbler  five  cent*  o'clock — go  to  h — 1 — don't 
care,  big  chief." 

Another  would  try  to  repeat  and  stumble  onto : 

"Ploss  numbler   half  past — How!  —  he; 
drink." 

They  started  out  right,  but  after  the  first  two 
recollection  came  to  them  only  in  expressions  which  they 
had  previously  fixed  in  their  minds. 

This  system,  while  it  was  superbly  ridiculous,  fur- 
nished food  for  laughter,  and  every  night  came  to  be  a 
regular  love-feast  of  fun ;  but,  like  a  joke  frequently 
told,  it  at  length  grew  tedious  and  Gen.  Duncan  was 
compelled  to  countermand  the  order,  which  relieved  the 
Pawneei  from  guard  duty,  much  to  their  satisfaction. 

The  expedition  after  remaining  out  for  several  days, 
met  a  party  of  Indians,  who  had  massacred  the  Buck  sur- 
veyors, and  had  a  running  fight  with  them.  Buf- 
falo Bill  had  a  whip  shot  from  his  hand  and  a  bullet 
went  through  his  hat,  but  he  killed  two  Indians  by  way 


350  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

of  compensation  for  his  narrow  escape.  Meeting  with  no 
further  adventures,  the  command  returned  to  Ft.  Mc- 
Pherson,  where,  upon  arrival,  Bill  received  from  his 
wife  the  celestial  gift  of  a  first  son,  whom  he  named  Kit 
Carson. 

Peace  being  now  restored,  and  all  the  troublesome  In- 
dians having  returned  to  their  reservations,  Ft.  McPher- 
son  became  a  quiet  place,  save  for  the  usual  disturbances 
indirectly  chargeable  to  sutler's  stores. 

Bill,  though  still  chief  of  scouts,  performed  little 
scouting  service  except  between  quarters  and  refreshment 
stations,  which  is  always  a  congenial  occupation  to  good 
trailers. 

One  day,  as  he  was  cracking  jokes,  spinning  yarns, 
and  keeping  things  about  the  post  in  good  humor  and 
condition,  Gen.  Emory  approached  him  and  said  : 

Iv,  I  am  annoyed  very  much  by  the  petty  thiev- 

3  going  on  about  here,  nearly  every  day  having 

^aplaints  from  persons  who  have  either  lost 

^vis  or  other  personal  property.     We  need  a  Justice  of 

the  Peace  very  badly,  and  I  have  decided  to  bestow  that 

office  on  you." 

"  Good  gracious !  General,  I  appreciate  the  compli- 
ment, but  if  you  can  pick  out  any  one  of  the  Government 
mules  about  here  that  knows  less  of  law  than  I  do,  then 
I'll  give  him  my  recommendation  for  the  appointment." 

"Well,  you  are  not  required  to  know  much  law 5 
rather  to  discriminate  between  right  and  wrong,  and  mete 
out  proper  punishment." 

"I know,"  answered  Bill,  "that  it's  wrong  to  get 
drunk ;  in  fact,  against  the  law — military — but  just  what 
written  law  I  couldn't  tell." 

"  I  can,  perhaps,  deal  with  drunkenness  in  eamp ;  T 
want  you  to  deal  with  the  thieves." 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  351 

'•All  right,  General,  I  can  string  a  thief  without 
mercy,  and  if  that's  the  purpose  of  my  appointment, 
why,  just  put  your  fist  to  the  commission." 

Bill  was  duly  appointed  'Squire,  and  hi  about  fifteen 
minutes  after  receiving  his  authority,  a  party  living  at 
McPherson,  sought  him  with  tha  following  complaint : 

"  Say,  'Squire,  a  yaller-legged  ranchero,  that  lives  up 
on  the  Beaver,  has  jist  stole  one  o'  my  hosses  an*  I  want 
a  writ  o'  replevin." 

"  Want  a  writ  of  replevin?  why,  don't  you  want  your 
horse  ?  What  good  would  a  writ  of  replevin  do  you  with- 
out you  first  had  the  horse?" 

"  I  don't  know,  they  told  me  down  here  at  headquar- 
ters that  you  was  the  'Squire,  and  to  ax  you  for  a  writ  o* 
replevin." 

"  Where  is  your  horse  now?' 

"  Why,  old  yaller-legs  is  a  drivin'  or  him  like  h — 1 
to'ard  Beaver. 

Bill  turned  around,  and  taking  Lucretia  Borgia,  his 
rifle,  from  the  rack,  went  out,  mounted  his  horse,  and 
told  the  complainant  to  lead  off  in  the  direction  taken  by 
"  Yaller-legs." 

The  two  rode  rapidly  for  several  miles,  until  they 
«aught  up  with  the  thief,  who  was  driving  several  head 
of  horses. 

Bill  accosted  him :  "  Hello  !  you've  got  a  horse  in  that 
herd  that  belongs  to  this  complainant ;  that  piebald  on 
the  off  side  he  says  belongs  to  him." 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?" 

"I'm  going  to  make  you  cut  out  the  horse,  put  a  rope 
around  his  neck  and  deliver  him  to  this  man,"  an- 
swered Bill,  at  the  same  time  bringing  his  rifle  to  a  posi- 
tion suggestive  of  slaughter. 

The  thief  obeyed  the  order  with  alacrity,  but  after 


352  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

turning  over  the  horse,  Bill  told  him  there  were  some 
damages  to  settle,  and  if  the  settlement  were  not  made 
at  once,  he  would  take  him  back  to  McPherson. 

"  I  can't  go  back  there,  my  time  is  too  precious  ;  what 
are  the  damages  ?' ' 

"  Twenty  dollars,"  replied  Bill,  which  sum  was  imme- 
diately paid  over  and  duly  credited  to  Buffalo  Bill's  "  of- 
ficial" account. 

Soon  after  this  incident,  the  knowledge  of  there  being 
a  'squire  in  McPherson  prompted  a  sample  resident  of 
the  place  to  call  on  Bill  and  arrange  terms  with  him  f  01 
performing  a  marriage  ceremony. 

"  How  much  money  have  you  got,  young  man,"  asked 
Bill. 

"O,  I  h'aint  got  much,  but  maybe  I  could  raise  ten 
dollars." 

"Ten  dollars  goes,"  replied  Bill ;  "bring  over  the  gul 
and  I'll  hitch  you  according  to  the  law  and  the  prophets." 

After  the  applicant  had  departed,  Bill  got  down  a  copy 
of  the  Nebraska  "tatutes  and  for  more  than  an  hour  tried 
with  becoming  assiduity  to  find  the  form  prescribed  for 
marriage,  but  it  was  worse  than  hunting  for  Indians  dur- 
ing a  dark  night  in  high  prairie  grass  ;  he  couldn't  find  it. 

Thus  unprepared,  Bill  was  soon  called  on  by  the  in- 
tended groom  and  bride,  both  of  whom  were  apparently 
b©wed  down  with  either  the  gravity  of  the  situation, 
or  an  innate  diffidence,  which  was  greatly  increased  by 
the  motley  crowd  that  stood  around  in  the  room  waiting 
to  witness  the  ceremony. 

Bill  infused  some  courage  Into  the  bewildered  couple 
by  saying : 

"Are  you  the  parties  who  want  to  get  married?" 

A  feeble  "  yes"  came  from  the  groom. 

"Well,  then,  brace  up  and  answer  the  questions  the 
law  makes  it  my  duty  to  ask  you." 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL. 


353 


To  the  bridegroom — '  *  Do  you  take  this  woman  to  b? 
your  wedded  wife ;  to  honor,  support  and  protect  her 


through  life?" 


"Yes,  sir." 

To  the  bride — <  *  Do  you  accept  this  man  for  your  law- 
ful husband  ;  to  love,  cherish  and  obey  him,  through  good 
and  ill  report?" 

"Yes,  sir." 


The  Marriage  Ceremony. 

"That's  good  ;  now  join  hands  while  I  pronounce  the 
benediction  :  I  now  declare  you  man  and  wife,  and  let  me 
add  that  whomsoever  God  and  Buffalo  Bill  join  together 
let  no  man  put  asunder.  May  you  live  long  and  prosper, 
Amen !' 

The  ceremony  being  completed,  Bill  kissed  the  bride, 
after  which .  there  was  an  adjournment  for  irrigating 
purposes. 


364  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 


CHAPTER  XVHL 

EARLY  in  September,  1871,  a  grand  hunt  was  projected 
by  Gen.  Sheridan,  whose  intention  was  to  afford  some  of 
his  Eastern  friends  the  excitement  of  a  buffalo  chase. 
Accordingly  invitations  to  participate  in  the  hunt  were 
issued  to  and  accepted  by  the  following  gentlemen: 
James  Gordoo  Bennett ;  Gen.  Anson  Stager,  of  the  West- 
ern Union  Telegragh  Company ;  Charles  Wilson,  editor 
Chicago  Journal;  Lawrence  R.  and  Leonard  W.  Jerome  ; 
Gen.  H.  E.  Davies  ;  Gen.  Fitzhugh  ;  Gen.  Rucker ;  Capt. 
M.  E.  Rogers  ;  Carroll  Livingston,  and  Surgeon  General 
Arsch. 

This  party  having  announced  their  coming,  were  receiv- 
ed at  Ft.  McPherson  by  a  cavalry  company  escort  under 
Gen.  Emory  and  Major  Brown.  Almost  immediately 
upon  their  arrival  Gen.  Sheridan  sent  for  Buffalo  Bill 
whom  he  introduced  with  flattering  remarks  to  each  one 
in  the  hunting  party,  after  which  he  told  Bill  that  the 
gentlemen  had  come  to  McPherson  with  the  expectation 
of  taking  a  big  hunt  under  his  special  guidance  and  direc- 
tion. 

In  anticipation  of  the  arrival  of  these  distinguished  and 
wealthy  gentlemen,  Bill  had  taken  considerable  pains  to 
present  a  slick  appearance,  having,  as  he  expressed  it, 
"  curled  my  front  teeth;  brushed  up  a  new  buckskin 
toga ;  put  on  my  Sunday  moccasins  •  combed  out  the 
fringe  on  my  trousers,  and  left  nothing  undone  save 
'  banging '  my  front  hair." 

In  a  very  interesting  pamphlet  of  sixty-eight  pages 
which  Gen.  Davies  afterward  wrote,  describing  the  inci- 
dents of  this  pleasurable  hunt,  under  the  title,  "  Ten  Days 
on  the  Plains,'*  he  mentions  the  fact  that  at  his  meeting 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO    BILL.  355 

with  Buffalo  Bill  on  the  occasion  referred  to,  he  thought 
the  scout  was  the  handsomest  man  that  had  ever  trod  the 
prairies  ;  such  a  perfect  type  of  physical  manhood,  com- 
bining a  powerful  physique  with  such  rare  symmetry  and 
harmony  of  feature,  which  perfections  were  brought 
into  greater  prominence  by  the  extraordinary  grace  of 
his  movements. 

The  party  hunted  over  a  large  extent  of  territory  for  a 
period  of  ten  days,  killing  many  buffaloes,  turkeys,  jack 
rabbits,  antelopes,  etc.,  and  having  an  excellent  cook  with 
them  the  cuisine  was  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  epicu- 
rean dainties  set  at  Olympian  feasts. 

Early  in  January,  1872,  Gen.  Forsyth  and  Dr.  Arsch, 
both  of  Gen  Sheridan's  staff,  visited  Buffalo  Bill  at  Ft. 
McPherson  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  with  him  the 
preliminaries  of  a  grand  buffalo  hunt  which  the  Grand 
Duke  Alexis ,  who  was  then  visiting  the  United  States, 
had  express  a  desire  to  participate  in.  As  the  royal 
guest  of  the  nation  deserved,  by  reason  of  his  position, 
special  recognition,  Bill  at  once  conceived  the  idea  of  en- 
gaging a  large  number  of  Indians  to  take  part  in  the  hunt, 
and  add  to  the  Duke's  pleasure  by  giving  exhibitions  and 
ceremonies  which  would  acquaint  him  with  their  peculiar 
life.  Acting  upon  this  idea  he  visited  Spotted  Tail's 
camp — Sioux — on  the  Bed  Willow,  where  he  readily  in- 
fluenced one  hundred  of  the  leading  chiefs  and  warriors 
to  accompany  the  Duke,  and  by  his  further  request  they 
assembled  at  Government  Crossing,  on  the  Red  Willow. 
After  obtaining  the  consent  of  the  Indians,  Capt.  Eagan 
with  a  company  from  the  second  cavalry  was  despatched 
to  the  meeting  point  to  arrange  for  the  Duke's  reception. 
The  ground  was  cleared  and  leveled,  a  large  wall  tent 
erected  and  plenty  of  stores  were  carefully  packed  away 
sufficient  to  last  the  Duke's  party  during  the  hunt. 


356 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


On  the  12th  of  January,  the  royal  guest  and  his  party 
arrived  at  North  Platte,  over  the  Union  Pacific  Eailroad, 
where  they  were  received  by  Buffalo  Bill,  Captain  Hays 
and  a  company  of  cavalry  under  Captain  Eagan.  There 
were  also  in  waiting  six  ambulances  and  twenty  extra 
saddle  horses.  Gen.  Sheridan  accompanied  the  Grand 


"How!" 


Duke  and  introduced  him  to  Buffalo  Bill,  whereupon  Bill 
tendered  His  Highness  the  use  of  Buckskin  Joe,  a  famous 
buffalo  horse,  and  an  hour  afterward  the  party  were 
mounted  and  riding  southward  across  the  South  Platte 
toward  Medicine  River., 


LITE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  357 

Beaching  the  rendezvous  on  Red  Willow,  all  necessary 
arrangements  were  found  completed,  and  the  Indians 
were  in  waiting,  ready  for  the  ceremonies  expected  of 
them. 

Several  members  of  the  party  were  introduced  to  Spot- 
ted Tail,  who  appeared  clad  in  government  clothes,  but 
which,  it  was  evident,  were  never  made  for  him.  He 
wore  a  U.  S.  belt,  with  the  buckle  upside  down,  and  as 
he  advanced  with  extended  hand,  saying  "How,"  he  was 
a  good  model  for  a  caricature  artist. 

In  the  afternoon,  the  Duke  was  highly  entertained  with 
exhibitions  of  wonderful  horsemanship,  lance  throwing, 
bow  shooting  and  sham  fights,  and  in  the  evening  the 
[ndians  gave  a  grand  war  dance,  in  which  many  of  their 
singular  ceremonies  were  introduced . 

On  the  following  day,  Bill  rode  beside  the  Grand 
Duke  and  instructed  him  in  the  manner  of  shooting  buf- 
faloes, until  looking  away  to  the  south  nearly  two  miles, 
a  large  herd  was  discovered:  crossing  the  party's  intended 
route.  In  a  moment  the  Duke  became  very  much  excited 
and  anxious  to  charge  directly  toward  the  buffaloes,  but 
Bill  restrained  him  for  a  time,  until  getting  around  to 
windward  and  keeping  behind  the  sand  hills,  the  herd 
was  gradually  approached. 

"Now,"  said  Bill,  "is  your  time;  you  must  ride  as 
fast  as  your  horse  will  go,  and  don't  shoot  until" you  get 
a  good  opportunity. ' ' 

Away  they  went,  tearing  down  the  hill  and  throwing 
up  a  sand  storm  in  the  rear,  leaving  the  Duke's  retinue 
far  behind.  When  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  fleeing 
buffaloes  the  Duke  fired,  but  unfortunately  missed,  being 
Hnused  to  shooting  from  a  running  horse. 

Bill  rode  up  close  beside  him  and  advised  him  not  to 
fire  until  he  could  ride  directly  up  on  the  flank  of  a  buf- 
falo, as  the  sport  was  most  !n  the  chase. 


358  HEROES    OF  THE   PLAINS. 

The  two  now  dashed  off  together  and  ran  their  horse* 
on  either  side  of  a  large  bull,  against  the  side  of  which 
the  Duke  thrust  his  gun  and  fired  a  fatal  shot.  He  was 
very  much  elated  at  his  success,  taking  off  his  cap  and 
waving  it  vehemently,  at  the  same  time  shouting  to  those 
who  were  fully  a  mile  in  the  rear.  When  his  retinue 
came  up  there  were  congratulations,  and  every  one  drank 
to  his  good  health  with  overflowing  glasses  of  cham- 
pagne. The  hide  of  the  dead  buffalo  was  carefully  re- 
moved and  dressed,  and  the  royal  traveler  in  his  journey- 


The  Grand  Duke's  First  Buffalo. 

fogs  over  the  world  has  no  doubt  often  rested  himself  up- 
on this  trophy  of  his  skill  (?)  on  the  plains  of  America. 
An  encampment  was  now  made,  as  the  party  was  quite 
fatigued,  and  the  evening  passed  with  song  and  story. 
On  the  following  day,  by  request  of  Spotted  Tail,  tho 
Grand  Duke  hunted  for  a  while  beside  "  Two  Lance," 
a  celebrated  chief,  who  claimed  he  could  send  an  arrow 
entirely  through  the  body  of  the  largest  buffalo.  This 
feat  seemed  so  incredulous  that  there  was  a  general  de- 
nial of  his  ability  to  perform  it ;  nevertheless,  the  Grand 


LITE   OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  359 

Duke  and  also  several  others  who  accompanied  the  chief, 
witnessed,  with  profound  astonishment,  an  accomplish- 
ment of  the  feat,  and  the  arrow  that  passed  through  the 
buffalo  was  given  to  the  Duke  as  a  memento  of  Two 
Lance's  skill  and  power. 

On  the  same  day  of  this  performance  the  Grand  Duke 
killed  a  buffalo  at  a  distance  of  one  hundred  paces,  with 
a  heavy  navy  revolver.  The  shot  was  a  marvelous — 
scratch. 

After  the  hunt  was  concluded,  Buffalo  Bill,  upon  invi- 
tation of  Gen.  Sheridan,  took  the  reins  of  an  ambulance 
team  and  showed  the  Duke  how  old  stage  drivers  set  their 
horses  "  afire."  But  the  drive  was  not  appreciated  suf- 
ficiently to  applaud,  for  the  Duke  was  an  occupant  of  the 
ambulance.  As  they  went  down  hill  toward  the  Medi- 
cine at  the  rate  of  sixty  miles  a  minute — more  or  less — 
there  was  a  tuft  of  royal  hair  sticking  up  like  a  sugar 
loaf,  while  his  coat-tails  were  flapping  and  cracking  like 
the  whips  of  an  army  of  bull-whackers. 

North  Platte  was  reached  after  a  week's  absence,  and 
upon  taking  the  train  for  the  East,  the  Grand  Duke  in- 
vited Bill  into  his  car  where,  as  a  recognition  of  his  re- 
gard and  appreciation,  he  gave  him  numerous  and  valuable 
presents,  concluding  by  extending  him  a  cordial  invita- 
tion to  visit  Eussia,  where  he  promised  to  receive  him 
royally. 

Soon  after  the  Grand  Duke's  departure,  Buffalo  Bill 
received  an  invitation  from  a  large  number  of  leading 
men  of  New  York  City,  to  visit  the  East ;  among  those 
who  desired  to  extend  him  their  hospitalities  were  James 
Gordon  Bennett,  August  Belmont,  Leonard  W.  Jerome, 
and  many  others  of  equal  prominence.  At  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  Gen.  Sheridan,  Bill  at  length  concluded  to 
accept  the  invitation,  and  made  preparations  accordingly. 


360  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Gen.  Stager  provided  him  with  railroad  passes  and  ar 
ranged  for  him  to  stop  at  Chicago,  Niagara  Falls,  Buf- 
falo and  Rochester.  At  all  these  places  a  committee  of 
reception  was  appointed  to  receive  him  with  becoming 
honors,  and  he  was  introduced  into  the  best  society  of  ar 
these  cities. 

Upon  arriving  at  New  York,  Bill  was  received  by  a 
committee  who  escorted  him  directly  to  the  Union  Club, 
where  he  met  the  wealthy  gentlemen  who  had  sent  the 
invitation.  He  was  now  taken  in  charge  by  the  members, 
who  gave  him  one  ceaseless  round  of  dinners  and  parties. 
Invitations  came  in  on  him  so  rapidly  that  it  was  con- 
fusion worse  confounded,  and  he  was  in  a  very  whirlpool 
of  demoralization.  One  of  the  largest  dinners  given  in 
his  honor  was  prepared  by  James  Gordon  Bennett,  but 
Bill  was  in  such  purturbation  of  mind,  owing  to  the  hun- 
dreds of  invitations  which  lay  before  him,  that  he  was  un- 
able to  decide  which  had  precedence,  and  consequently 
the  Bennett  dinner  had  to  be  postponed. 

Mr.  August  Belmont  then  prepared  a  dinner  for  Bill, 
which  was  one  of  the  most  elegant  affairs  known  in  New 
York  even  to  this  day,  and  it  is  good  to  remember  the 
fact  that  Bill  graced  the  occasion  with  his  presence,  and 
Bennett  was  also  there  with  forgiveness  in  his  righ/ 
hand  for  Bill's  delinquency. 

During  this  visit  Buffalo  Bill  had  the  pleasure  of  attend- 
ing the  Bowery  Theater,  where  was  being  produced  a  play 
entitled  "  Buffalo  Bill,  the  King  of  Border  Men,"  thereby 
seeing  some  of  his  noted  adventures  mirrored  by  an  ex- 
cellent actor  named  J.  B.  Studly.  The  play  was  a  decid- 
ed success,  and  as  it  became  known  among  the  audience 
that  the  real  hero  occupied  a  private  box  in  the  theatre,  a 
shout  went  up  which  would  not  abate  until  the  manager 
led  Bill  out  on  the  stage  for  a  speech.  The  house  was 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  361 

Mrly  filled  to  overflowing,  and  as  the  great  scout  had 
never  appeared  in  the  role  of  public  speaker,  he  was 
worse  embarrassed  than  the  diffident  couple  he  had  mar- 
ried several  months  previously  at  Ft.  McPherson.  The 
fact  is,  he  never  felt  so  badly  corraled  in  his  life  as  he  did 
on  that  occasion,  and  after  muttering  a  few  unintelligible 
Words  he  retreated  in  disorder  behind  the  scenes.  But 
notwithstanding  his  embarrassment,  the  manager  offered 
him  five  hundred  dollars  a  week  to  take  the  leading  role 
in  the  performance.  But  this  amount  was  insufficient  to 
counteract  his  extraordinary  "want  of  cheek,'*  and  he 
declined  the  offer. 

After  indulging  in  an  uninterrupted  round  of  festivities 
for  twenty  days,  Buffalo  Bill  visited  some  of  his  relatives 
in  Westchester,  Pennsylvania,  whom  he  had  never  seen, 
and  after  spending  a  few  days,  in  obedience  to  a  tele- 
gram received  from  Gen.  Sheridan,  he  returned  to  Ft. 
McPherson  where  his  services  were  needed. 

Directly  after  his  arrival  at  the  post,  a  party  of  Indians 
made  an  attack  on  McPherson  Station,  five  miles  from 
the  fort,  and  after  killing  three  men  ran  off  several  head 
of  horses  and  cattle. 

Captain  Meiiihold  was  at  once  ordered  out  with  his 
company  to  pursue  the  depredating  Indians,  and  Buffalo 
pill  was,  of  course,  expected  to  accompany  the  command 
as  trailer.  On  this  expedition  he  had  an  assistant  scout 
with  him  in  the  person  of  J.  B.  Omohundro,  known 
throughout  the  United  States  as  "  Texas  Jack,"  of  whose 
career  some  mention  will  be  made  before  concluding  the 
adventures  of  Buffalo  Bill.  « 

For  two  days  the  command  moved  slowly  on  account 
of  the  indefinite  trail,  which  the  Indians  had  taken  suck 
pains  to  cover  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  follow  it. 
However  Bill's  fertility  of  well-directed  suspicions  car- 


362  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

ried  the  expedition  to  a  point  on  the  South  Fork  of  the 
Loupe,  where  a  camp  was  prepared  at  which  all  the  sol- 
diers, except  four,  halted,  while  Buffalo  Bill,  Texas  Jack 
and  the  detail  of  four  men  pushed  forward  to  reconnoitre 
a  heavy  strip  of  timber  in  which  Bill  thought  the  Indians 
were  secreted. 

Proceeding  only  a  few  miles  and  gaming  the  summit 
of  a  high  ridge,  Bill  surveyed  the  country  within  his 
vision  and  saw  encamped  at  the  timber  edge  about  one 
dozen  Indians  and  near  them  several  head  of  horses  were 
grazing.  He  immediately  proposed  to  charge  the  sav- 
ages rather  than  take  the  chances  of  their  escaping  dur- 
ing his  return  to  the  command.  All  his  men  being  of 
like  mind,  Bill  rode  down  toward  the  Indians,  keeping 
well  behind  the  brush  until  he  approached  within  a  few 
hundred  yards.  He  now  ordered  a  charge  which  was 
made  with  such  impetuosity  that  he  was  carried  directly 
through  the  camp.  The  Indians,  after  firing  a  single 
volley,  broke  for  their  horses,  but  being  too  closely  pur- 
sued tried  to  make  another  stand.  Bill  shot  down  two 
of  them  before  they  rallied,  and  killed  a  third  cne  as  he 
was  trying  to  cross  the  Loupe.  There  were  thirteen  In- 
dians in  the  original  party,  but  three  of  them  being  killed 
the  odds  were  now  only  six  to  ten.  Some  of  them  had 
crossed  the  river  and  these  Bill  pursued,  expecting  his 
men  to  follow,  but  instead  of  so  doing,  they  rushed  after 
seven  of  the  Indians  who  remained  on  the  north  side  of 
the  river.  Suddenly  he  found  himself  alone  and  at  the 
same  time  saw  two  of  the  fugitives  turn  and  ride  di- 
rectly toward  him,  shooting  and  yelling.  He  was  struck 
by  one  of  the  shots  in  the  left  side  of  the  head,  produc- 
ing only  a  scalp-wound,  but  drawing  so  much  blood  that 
he  was  almost  blinded  by  the  flow.  With  a  swipe  of  his 
band  he  cleared  his  face  for  a  moment  so  as  to  fire,  and 


LIFE   OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  363 

•with  the  shot  an  Indian  fell  dead.  The  other  one  now 
turned  to  run,  but  Bill  pushed  his  horse  forward  and 
when  within  a  few  yards,  he  raised  himself  in  the  stir- 
rups and  shot  the  Indian  dead,  thus  scoring  five  Indians 
himself  in  a  fight  of  only  a  few  minutes,  the  scalps  of 
which  he  secured  and  also  recovered  all  the  stolen  stock. 
Capt.  Meinhold,  hearing  the  firing,  ordered  his  compa- 
ny into  the  saddle,  but  when  the  soldiers  approached  the 
scene  of  battle  they  found  only  the  spoils  of  victory ; 
seven  dead  Indians,  as  many  bloody  scalps,  and  twenty 
horses. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

RETURNING  from  this  expedition  Buffalo  Bill  was  en- 
gaged to  accompany  the  Earl  of  Dunravenon  an  elk  hunt, 
which  lasted  three  weeks,  to  the  infinite  delight  of  the 
Earl,  who  was  an  excellent  sportsman.  Before  complet- 
ing this  hunt,  however,  a  party  of  wealthy  gentlemen  of 
Chicago  went  out  to  Ft.  McPherson  with  letters  from 
Gen.  Sheridan,  inviting  Bill  to  guide  them  on  a  hunt,  and 
so  pressing  was  their  invitation  that  he  placed  the  Earl  in 
charge  of  Texas  Jack  and  accompanied  the  Chicago  gen- 
tlemen, among  whom  were  E.  P.  Green,  Alexander  Sam- 
ple, Mr.  Mulligan,  of  Keath  &  Mulligan,  and  a  number 
of  others.  During  this  excursion  the  pleasure  party  was 
jumped  by  a  band  of  Indians  and  had  to  run  for  a  dis- 
tance of  six  miles  back  to  camp — and  the  way  they  push- 
ed on  the  reins  was  interesting  to  see. 

Following  this  hunt  came  another  with  several  mer- 
ehants,  judges  and  lawyers  from  Omaha.  U.  S.  District 

22 


364  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

Attorney  Neville  was  one  of  this  party,  and  was  a  novelty 
of  no  insignificant  pretensions.  He  wore  a  plug  hat  and 
swallow-tailed  coat  which  gave  him  a  most  amusing  ap- 
pearance when  pursuing  buffaloes. 

After  getting  fairly  upon  the  hunting  grounds,  at  the 
request  of  the  party,  who  were  anxious  to  see  so  strange 
and  dextrous  a  feat  performed,  Bill  lariated  a  large  buffalo 
bull,  while  on  a  tight  runr  and  then  tied  the  animal  to  a 
tree,  a  thorough  captive.  But  throwing  the  lasso  was  an 
easy  employment  for  Bill,  as  he  had  practiced  the  art  for 
several  years  and  acquired  a  dexterity  rarely  to  be  mot 
with,  even  among  Mexicans. 

In  the  fall  of  1872  a  convention  of  Democrats  was  held 
at  Grand  Island  for  the  purpose  of  nominating  a  candi- 
date to  represent  the  Twenty-sixth  Legislative  District. 
Every  county  in  the  State  was  overwhelmingly  Republi- 
can, and  the  Twenty-sixth  District  was  as  one-sided  as  a 
jug  handle.  Nominations  were  made  by  the  Democrats, 
not  with  the  view  of  electing  their  candidates,  however, 
but  for  the  purpose  of  maintaining  their  party  organiza- 
tion. 

In  the  convention  referred  to  some  one  proposed  the 
name  of  Wm.  F.  Cody  for  representative,  and  with  the 
proposition  a  cheer  went  up  forthwith  which  resulted  in 
placing  his  name  formally  before  the  convention,  where 
his  nomination  was  instantly  made  unanimous. 

No  one  was  ever  more  surprised  than  Bill  when  he  was 
informed  of  the  convention's  action,  nor  would  he  believe 
that  his  candidacy  had  really  been  considered  until  offi- 
cial information  made  the  fact  incontestible.  He  felt 
that  it  would  be  cowardice  for  him  to  refuse  to  make  the 
race,  as  some  one  must  be  immolated  for  party's  sake, 
and  justice  impressed  him  with  the  belief  that  he  might 
as  properly  be  the  victim  as  any  other  man. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  365 

Being  absent  from  home  more  than  nine-tenths  of  his 
time,  he  made  no  canvass  whatever  of  the  district,  yet 
his  personal  popularity  was  so  great  that  nearly  every  one 
in  the  district,  whether  Democrat  or  Republican,  gave 
him  their  votes,  and  his  election  was  a  triumph  few  men 
ever  achieve.  It  was  a  testimonial  to  his  honor,  ability 
and  noble  qualities  of  such  priceless  value  that  what 
would  not  any  man  give  to  be  the  recipient  of  a  like  esti- 
mation ? 

But  however  great  the  honors,  beyond  the  gratitude 
he  felt  he  indulged  little  of  the  pride  of  his  position,  for 
about  the  time  of  taking  his  seat  in  the  legislature  a 
proposition  was  made  him  which  his  best  interests  dic- 
tated an  acceptance  of.  Ned  Buntline,  who  only  a  few 
years  previously  had  met  Buffalo  Bill  and  made  fame  for 
both  by  his  stories  concerning  the  scout's  adventures, 
published  in  the  New  York  Weekly ',  being  greatly  im- 
pressed with  the  popular  qualities  of  his  hero,  made  him 
a  flattering  offer  for  his  services  as  a  leading  theatrical 
attraction. 

The  proposition,  when  first  made,  very  naturally 
appeared  somewhat  ridiculous  to  Bill,  who  thoroughly 
appreciated  his  imperfections  and  lack  of  experience,  and 
was  especially  haunted  by  the  remembrance  of  his  confu- 
sion during  his  appearance  at  the  Bowery  Theater.  But 
Buntline  put  a  silver  lining  to  all  his  persuasive  words  and 
covered  his  promises  with  a  heavy  veneering  of  gold. 

The  final  result  was  that  Bill  resigned  his  seat  in  the 
legislature,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  November  he  sent  his 
letter  of  resignation  to  Gen.  Reynolds  as  chief  of  scouts. 

Having  settled  matters  in  the  West,  Bill  took  his  fam- 
ily and  started  East,  stopping  one  day  in  Omaha  to  ac- 
cept the  recognition  paid  his  services  by  the  citizens  who 
had  enjoyed  his  company  on  the  hunt  already  referred  to. 


366  HEROES    OF   THE  PLAINS. 

A  grand  dinner  was  the  means  taken  for  affording  the 
recognition  and  appreciation  they  desired  to  manifest, 
and  an  elegant  time  was  the  result. 

At  Omaha  Bill  met  Texas  Jack,  who  had  played  the 
role  of  first  assistant  hero  in  Buntline's  stories,  and  as 
Jack  was  anxious  to  accompany  his  old  friend,  Bill  gladly 
engaged  his  company.  They  proceeded  directly  to  Chi- 
cago, where  Ned  Buntline  was  stopping,  while  Bill's 
family  went  to  their  relations  in  St.  Louis,  who  were  not 
only  glad  to  welcome  Mrs.  Cody  but  also  to  see  the  new 
accession,  little  Ora,  who  had  been  born  only  a  short 
while  before  Bill's  election  to  the  legislature. 

Upon  reaching  Chicago,  Bill  and  Jack  were  met  at  the 
depot  by  Mr.  Mulligan,  who  had  engaged  rooms  at  the 
Sherman  House,  intending  that  the  two  scouts  should  be 
his  guests. 

Buntline  was  so  busily  engaged  delivering  temperance 
lectures  and  preparing  for  the  introduction  of  his  stellary 
duet  that  it  was  not  until  the  following  day  that  he  mot 
the  two  rising  theatrical  comets. 

When  the  three  did  meet,  Bill  and  Jack  were  astounded 
upon  shaking  hands  with  Buntline  to  hear  him  spin  out 
the  following,  scarcely  taking  time  to  breathe  between  sen- 
tences. 

'  *  How  are  you  ? — glad  to  see  you — just  in  time — got  er~ 
erything  arranged  and  we're  going  to  make  an  immense  hit 
— come  over  to  the  Amphitheatre  with  me  and  see  Nixon, 
he's  the  manager — we  open  there  Monday  night  and  you 
must  stir  about  lively  so  as  to  be  ready — how  do  you 
feel?  when  did  you  arrive? — where  are  you  stopping?" 
and  thus  he  rattled  away,  like  an  old  alarm  clock  just 
wound  up,  with  a  broken  ratchet,  and  until  he  had  run 
down  somewhat  neither  of  the  scouts  could  reply. 

When  Bill  caught  up  with  the  machine  he  managed  to 
stammer  out  by  way  of  contrast : 


LITE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  367 

"  Well,  Buntline,  I  don't  see  just  where  to  catch  on  ; 
you  don't  mean  to  say  that  Jack  and  I  are  expected  to 
make  our  appearance  on  the  stage  next  Monday  night?" 

44  That's  just  what  I  mean,  and  I  have  made  arrange- 
ments accordingly.  Come  with  me  and  we'll  call  on  the 
manager." 

The  two  scouts,  who  now  perceived  that  they  were  trail- 
ing down  a  strange  canon,  followed  their  new  guide  and 
said  nothing  further. 

They  proceeded  to  the  Ampitheatre,  where  Mr.  Nixon 
was  found  awaiting  them,  and  to  whom  the  scouts  were 
introduced,  after  which  Buntline  said  : 

"Well,  Nixon,  here  are  the  boys,  and  they  are  a  pat 
hand,  all  flushes  and  fours,  I  tell  you.  We  will  open  up 
on  next  Monday  night  with  a  flourish  that  will  fire  the 
people." 

"  So  early  as  that,  Ned?  That  will  scarcely  give 
the  gentlemen  time  for  preparation.  Let  me  see  your 
drama,  and  perhaps  I  can  be  of  some  assistance  in  organ- 
izing the  company." 

Buntline' s  reply  was  a  very  cyclone  of  surprise.  Said 
he: 

"I  haven't  written  the  drama  yet,  neither  have  I  en- 
gaged any  company,  but  there  are  plenty  of  unemployed 
theatrical  people  in  town  who  would  be  glad  of  an  en* 
gagement." 

"Why,  you  astonish  me.  No  company  nor  drama, 
and  only  four  days  to  write  a  play,  engage  a  company, 
study  the  parts,  rehearse,  and  get  out  the  show  bills.  I 
guess  we  will  not  go  any  further  with  our  arrangements, 
and  the  contract  between  you  and  me  may  be  considered 
off." 

This  was  the  way  Nixon  received  Buntline's  admissions 
and  declarations. 


368  HEROES  or  THE  PLAINS. 

But  not  in  the  least  dismayed,  Buntline  replied : 

"  All  right.  I  believe  the  theater  is  not  engaged  for 
next  week,  so  what  rent  will  you  charge  me  for  the  house 
for  six  nights  ? ' ' 

"  Six  hundred  dollars." 

"All  right,  again,  I'll  take  it,"  was  Buntline' s  re- 
sponse. 

Having  made  this  engagement  for  the  theater,  Buntline 
invited  Bill  and  Jack  over  to  his  hotel,  where  a  supply 
of  pens,  ink  and  paper  was  at  once  ordered,  and  three 
copyists  engaged  to  record  his  dictations. 

"Now  I've  got  it,  boys,"  exclaimed  Buntline;  "the 
play  shall  bear  the  title,  <  Scouts  of  the  Plains.'  " 

This  appeared  good,  and  with  this  the  inspiration 
seemed  to  possess  him,  for  he  dictated  the  parts  with 
such  rapidity  that  in  three  hours'  time  the  narrative  was 
completed,  and  only  required  proper  division  to  be  given 
into  the  hands  of  the  performers.  Bill's  and  Jack's  parts 
were  first  copied  off  and  given  them  by  Buntline,  with 
the  remark : 

"Now,  boys,  I  want  you  to  pitch  right  in  and  don't 
leave  this  room  until  you  are  letter  perfect ;  in  the  mean- 
time I'll  go  out,  engage  the  company,  order  the  bills  ami 
advertising,  and  get  everything  in  readiness.  Upon  my 
return  I'll  hear  you  rehearse  and  help  you  on  the  de- 
livery." 

With  this  he  shot  out  of  the  room,  fairly  running  over 
with  the  business  in  hand,  and  did  not  return  until  lattf 
in  the  evening. 

After  Buntline' s  departure  the  two  scouts  abstractedly 
looked  at  the  numerous  lines  that  had  been  left  for  them 
to  memorize,  and  then  each  turned  at  the  same  time  to 
eye  the  other.  Bill  was  the  first  to  speak : 

"Jerusalem  I  Jack,  this  is  worse  than  a  village  of  hos* 
tiles.  How  are  you  on  the  commit?  " 


LIFE  OP  BUFFALO  BELL.  369 

"  Why,  Bill,  you  know  I  never  did  have  sense  enough 
to  remember  anything  but  a  bull-whacker's  speech  or  an 
Indian's  war-whoop." 

"  Well,"  answered  Bill,  "  by  close  calculation  I've  de- 
cided that  I  could  muster  about  two  lines  and  a  whoop  in 
two  years,  and  at  this  rate  I  might  catch  onto  the  whole 
piece  in  about  three  life  times." 

"  Then  don't  despair,"  replied  Jack,  "  for  that  beats 
me  as  far  as  McCarthy's  flight  beat  that  little  party  of 
Pawnees  you  told  me  about  some  days  ago.  Fact  is,  I'm 
in  doubt  about  remembering  my  stage  name,  and  I 
couldn't  if  Buntline  hadn't  considerately  let  me  wear  my 
old  title." 

Finding  it  impossible  to  bring  themselves  down  to  solid 
fvork,  they  made  the  most  of  the  situation  and  spent  the 
day  in  spinning  yarns.  When  Buntline  came  bustling  in 
during  the  afternoon  he  said  : 

"  Well,  boys,  how  are  you  getting  along  with  your 
parts?" 

"Oh,  the  parts  are  all  right,  only  they  don't  like  us 
very  well.  I  guess,  Ned,  we  will  have  to  foreclose  on 
the  study  ;  our  health  might  give  way  if  we  continued , ' ' 
replied  Bill. 

"  You  must  not  get  discouraged,  boys,"  said  Buntline, 
"  for  besides  the  incentive  you  have  in  the  golden  reward 
that  awaits  your  efforts,  remember  that  I  have  assumed 
a  large  responsibility  and  therefore  none  of  us  can  afford 
to  fail." 

This  had  the  effect  to  brace  up  the  despondent  scouts 
and  they  consented  to  recite  some  of  their  parts  from  the 
manuscript,  but  in  this  they  made  such  a  miserable  failure 
that  even  Buntline  was  to  some  extent  discouraged.  But 
he  was  as  patient  as  he  was  versatile,  and  by  hard  work 
the  training  at  length  began  to  tell.  After  drilling  for 


370  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

two  days,  Bill  and  Jack  met  the  other  members  of  th« 
company  at  a  general  rehearsal,  and  things  began  to  grow 
smooth,  although  to  save  their  lives  the  scouts  could  not 
avoid  a  stiffness  and  apparent  want  of  confidence  in  them- 
selves which  seriously  interfered  with  the  rendering  of 
their  parts. 

Monday  night  came  soon  enough — too  soon  for  the 
scouts — and  at  seven  o'clock  Bill  and  Jack  went  over  to 
the  theatre  with  the  faces  of  chief  mourners  in  a  funeral 
procession.  They  repaired  at  once  to  the  dressing  room, 
where  their  buckskin  suits — stage-dress — were  adjusted, 
and  when  prepared  they  took  a  peep  through  the  curtain, 
when  they  were  horrified  as  well  as  delighted  to  see  a 
packed  house,  with  standing  room  at  a  premium. 

Bill's  first  thought  after  this  sight  was  of  his  feelings 
when  standing  before  a  large  audience  in  the  Old  Bowery 
theatre  ;  his  knees  knocked  ^ogetherlike  the  palsy  of  old 
age,  and  when  the  curtain  rang  up  and  his  appearance  had 
to  be  made  a  more  scared  man  actually,  positively  and  liter- 
ally, never  lived  than  Buffalo  Bill. 

Bu-ntline  was  cast  in  the  play,  and  but  for  his  encour- 
aging presence  and  sustaining  expedients,  both  Bill  and 
Jack  would  certainly  have  dropped  out  of  sheer  stage- 
fright. 

The  audience,  of  course,  greeted  their  appearance  with 
vociferous  cheers,  and  when  the  noisy  ovation  subsided 
Bill  had  lost  the  trail  completely,  and  could  not  remem- 
ber a  single  word  of  his  part.  But  Buntline  saw  his  em- 
barrassment and  came  to  the  rescue  by  speaking  foreign 
to  the  text : 

"  Where  have  you  been,  Bill?  What  has  detained  you 
so  long?" 

At  this  juncture  fortune  knocked  at  Bill's  door,  for 
seeing  Mr.  Mulligan,  with  whom  he  had  hunted  only  a 


LIFE    OF    BUFFALO   BILL.  371 

few  weeks  before,  sitting  in  a  private  box  of  the  theatre, 
surrounded  by  several  friends,  he  answered  : 

"I've  just  been  out  on  a  hunt  with  Mr.  Mulligan,  and 
we  got  corraled  by  a  party  of  hostiles." 

This  answer  fairly  brought  down  the  house,  as  Mulli- 
gan was  one  of  the  best  known  business  men  in  Chicago. 

Both  Bill  and  Buntline  saw  they  had  struck  a  fortunate 
cue,  and  that  the  only  way  out  of  their  embarrassment 
was  by  following  this  colloquy.  Buntlkie  therefore  quer- 
ried: 

"Is  that  so?  well,  tell  us  all  about  the  hunt  and  your 
escape." 

Thereupon  Bill ,  who  is  an  excellent  story  teller  and 
knows  just  how  much  ornamentation  to  give  his  recitals 
concerning  Indians,  related  at  some  length  all  the  partic- 
ulars that  a  curious-loving  audience  could  desire,  and 
upon  concluding  the  story  there  was  an  encore  which 
shook  the  house  like  an  explosion. 

Another  good  fortune  came  to  Bill  when  he  and  Jack 
went  on  in  the  second  act,  for  their  services  were  required 
only  in  a  desperate  Indian  battle  which  was  fought  out 
to  the  intense  satisfaction  of  both  the  audience  and  com- 
batants. There  were  twenty  supes  dressed  up  like  In- 
dians, and  the  way  in  which  the  two  scouts  slaughtered 
them  with  blank  cartridges  was  absolutely  marvelous, 
killing  off  the  entire  crowd  without  receiving  a  scratch 
themselves. 

On  the  following  morning  all  the  city  papers  contained 
lengthy  accounts  of  the  performance,  and  some  of  these 
were  more  interesting  than  the  play  itself.  Of  course 
Buffalo  Bill  and  Texas  Jack  were  not  criticised  as  actors, 
but  the  drama  was  all  split  up  the  back,  so  to  speak. 
Some  asserted  that  if  Buntline  spent  three  hours  in  pre- 
that  drama  he  must  have  been  engaged  in  several 


372  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

other  occupations  at  the  same  time.  Ned  Buntline  was 
killed  in  the  second  act,  and  some  of  the  papers  expressed 
the  idea  that  it  was  a  great  oversight  in  the  performers 
that  they  did  not  kill  him  in  the  first. 

But  in  spite  of  the  criticisms,  the  same  play  continued 
during  each  evening  of  the  week,  and  at  every  perform- 
ance the  house  was  crowded  with  an  enthusiastic  audience, 
and  Buntline' s  venture  proved  a  thorough  financial  suc- 
cess. 

At  Mr.  Nixon's  solicitation  he  was  taken  in  as  a  part- 
ner by  Buntline,  after  the  first  week,  and  then  the  com- 
pany began  to  travel,  visiting  all  the  large  cities  and 
meeting  everywhere  with  the  same  astonishing  success 
which  had  met  them  at  Chicago.  The  season  closed  in 
June,  1873,  and  after  a  distribution  of  profits,  amounting 
to  six  thousand  dollars  each,  Bill  and  Jack  returned  to  the 
West  for  another  big  hunt.  They  had  remained  away 
from  their  familiar  pastures  so  long  that  nothing  ever 
gave  them  so  much  pleasure  as  the  greeting  of  old  scout- 
ing friends  and  a  buffalo  dash  over  the  prairies  again. 

In  the  fall  they  went  to  New  York,  where  they  reor^ 
ganized  the  company  for  the  season  of  1873-74,  engaging 
Wild  Bill  as  one  of  the  stars.  This  second  season  also 
proved  successful,  more  so,  financially,  than  the  first,  and 
when  they  closed,  in  May,  1874,  they  had  money  "to 
throw  at  the  birds,"  as  Bill  declared,  with  fortune  dog- 
ging their  footsteps. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  373 


CHAPTER  XX. 

BEFORE  leaving  for  the  West,  Bill  went  to  New  York 
on  some  special  business,  and  while  there  was  introduced 
to  Thomas  P.  Medley,  a  very  wealthy  gentleman  of  Lon- 
don. Mr.  Medley  had  just  arrived  in  America  for  the 
express  purpose  of  taking  a  big  hunt  on  the  plains,  and 
the  moment  he  touched  New  York  his  correspondents  and 
friends  there  told  him  of  Buffalo  Bill's  presence  in  the 
city.  He  immediately  called  on  the  scout  at  the  Metro- 
politan Hotel,  and  disclosing  the  object  of  his  visit,  en- 
gaged his  services  as  guide,  at  a  salary  of  one  thousand 
dollars  a  month.  Before  starting  out  on  the  hunt,  Mr. 
Medley  told  Bill  that  he  did  not  want  to  be  treated  as  a 
guest  or  employer ;  that  he  proposed  doing  all  his  own 
cooking  while  on  the  plains,  kill  his  own  game,  and  go 
hungry  if  he  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  secure  none. 

Some  men  have  excellent  intentions,  like  the  sound 
sleeper  who  promises,  the  evening  before,  to  rise  early  in 
the  morning,  only  to  find  his  resolution  destroyed  by  the 
indisposition  of  morning  sleep.  But  Mr.  Medley  kept 
well  his  determination  made  amid  the  luxuries  of  a  fine 
hotel.  He  actually  killed  and  cooked  his  game,  carried 
wood  to  build  the  fire  and  the  water  he  needed.  This  he 
did  solely  to  acquaint  himself  with  life  on  the  plains. 
He  was  a  generous  man,  and  besides  being  a  good  hunter 
proved  himself  a  most  agreeable  companion. 

After  finishing  this  hunt,  which  lasted  about  six  weeks, 
Bill  was  engaged  by  Col.  Mills,  of  the  Third  Cavalry,  as 
guide  to  an  expedition  then  preparing  for  a  trip  along 
Powder  River,  in  the  Big  Horn  country.  The  command 
was  equipped  at  Rawlins,  "Wyoming  Territory,  and  from 
this  point  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  established  a 


374 


HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 


supply  oamp  at  Independence  Hock,  on  the  Sweetwater, 
on  the  route  over  which  Bill  had  ridden  the  pony  express 
fifteen  years  before.  It  was  here  that  California  Joe 
joined  the  expedition,  being  engaged  as  scout  by  Bill, 
who  knew  how  to  estimate  this  old  and  valuable  Indian 
lighter's  services. 


After  scouting  the  country  several  days,  the  expedition 
surprised  a  band  of  Arrapahoes,  under  Lone  AVolf,  whom 
they  drove  back  to  the  reservations.  A  few  days  after 
this  event  the  command  was  ordered  back  to  Rawlins, 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO    BILL.  375 

Biljf  retained  East  to  reorganize  his  theatrical  com- 
pany for  the  approaching  season.  Having  purchased 
property  in  Rochester,  New  York,  during  his  tour  of 
1873-74,  which  included  a  handsome  residence,  he  now 
moved  his  family  to  that  place,  where  they  remained  for 
several  years  and  until  Mrs.  Cody's  health,  injuriously 
affected  by  that  climate,  admonished  him  to  remove  again 
to  the  West,  his  next  settlement  being  at  North  Platte, 
Nebraska,  in  1878,  where  he  still  resides. 

In  the  succeeding  season,  1875-76,  his  combination  Wtis, 
for  the  fourth  time,  put  on  the  road,  playing  everywhere 
with  great  profit  and  satisfaction.  It  was  during  this 
tour,  however,  that  the  shafts  of  sorrow  struck  his  family 
most  severely,  making  such  wounds  as  time  can  hardly 
heal. 

While  he  was  performing  with  his  company  at  Spring^ 
field,  Massachusetts,  in  April,  1876,  a  telegram  wa& 
handed  him  announcing  the  dangerous  illness  of  his  little 
baby  boy,  Kit.  His  ambitions,  heart  and  nature  were  so 
interwoven  with  the  life  of  this  most  amiable  and  beau- 
tiful child  that  the  shock  completely  unnerved  him, 
Leaving  another  member  of  the  troop  to  act  his  part,. 
Bill  immediately  engaged  a  special  car  and  hurried  with 
all  possible  haste  to  Rochester.  When  he  arrived,  little 
Kit,  who  was  being  rapidly  consumed  by  the  fires  of 
scarlet  fever,  retained  barely  enough  consciousness  to 
recognize  his  father,  and  putting  his  wan  but  loving  little 
arms  around  his  neck  imprinted  one  affectionate  kiss  on 
his  cheek,  and  then  the  spirit  forsook  its  tenement — poor 
little  Kit  was  dead . 

There  were  many  kind  friends  present  to  put  back  the 
long  curly  hair  of  the  little  one,  whose  feet  were  now 
treading  the  golden  sands  ;  many  to  tell  of  heaven's  gain, 
and  divide  the  grief  of  that  stricken  household,  but  none 


376  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 

could  close  the  bleeding  wound  in  the  hearts  of  the  pros- 
trated  parents.  There  were  birds,  and  flowers,  and  sweet- 
scented  breezes,  and  ainid  these  they  buried  little  Kit,  u? 
Mount  Hope  Cemetery,  leaving  at  last  the  precious  littli 
mound  of  earth  moistened  with  the  libations  of  their 
tears. 

Very  soon  after  this  most  distressing  incident,  Cody 
received  several  pressing  requests,  by  telegraph,  from 
Gen.  Carr  to  return  West  and  join  the  Fifth  Cavalry 
again,  as  chief  of  scouts  ;  the  Sioux  war  had  just  begun, 
and  the  whole  north-west  was  panic  stricken.  Custerand 
Crook  were  operating  in  the  Big  Horn  country,  and  the 
Fifth  Cavalry  had  been  ordered  to  scout  the  vicinity  of 
the  Black  Hills.  Buffalo  Bill,  so  sorely  stricken  with 
grief,  was  anxious  to  plunge  into  some  adventure  thai; 
would  excite  him  to  forgetfulness  of  his  affliction. 
Moved  by  these  feelings,  and  enjoying  under  all  circum- 
stances the  thrilling  experiences  of  Indian  warfare,  he 
at  once  decided  to  accept  the  position  offered  by  Gen. 
Carr,  and  went  directly  to  Cheyenne,  where  the  Fifth 
Cavalry  was  outfitting  for  the  expedition. 

Upon  arriving  at  that  place,  Bill  was  met  at  the  depot 
by  Lieut.  King,  adjutant  of  the  regiment,  whom  he  ac* 
companied  to  the  camp,  where  he  was  received  with  a 
genuine  ovation  from  all  the  soldiers.  On  the  following 
morning  the  command  started  for  Ft.  Laramie,  where  it 
met  Generals  Sheridan,  Forsyth  and  Frye,  who  were 
en,  route  for  Red  Cloud  Agency. 

Bill  accompanied  Sheridan  to  that  post,  where  the  neces- 
sary orders  having  been  left,  they  returned  to  Laramie, 
and  from  there  the  expedition  journeyed  northward  to  the 
South  Fork  of  Cheyenne  river.  Reaching  the  Cheyenne 
country  at  the  foot  of  the  Black  Hills,  several  bands  of 
predatory  Indians  were  met  and  dispersed  after  a  few 
slight  skirmishes. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  377 

After  operating  in  the  Black  Hills  country  for  two 
weeks  Gen.  Wesley  Merritt  superseded  Gen.  Carr  in 
command  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry,  and  supposing  the  Indians 
had  been  driven  out  of  that  section,  he  ordered  the  regi- 
ment back  to  Ft.  Laramie.  While  returning  to  that  post 
word  was  brought  to  the  command  by  a  courier,  of  the 
Ouster  massacre  on  the  Little  Big  Horn.  With  this 
news  came  an  order  directing  Gen.  Merritt  to  push  on. 
rapidly  to  Ft.  Fetterman  and  join  Gen.  Crook,  who  had 
been  ordered  to  the  Big  Horn  country. 


Brevet  Major-Gen.  Geo.  A.  Custer. 

In  this  connection  it  is  eminently  proper  to  introduce  a 
description  of  this,  the  most  appalling  holocaust  that  ever 
occurred  on  the  plains  ;  an  event  so  disastrous  that  time, 
infinite  though  it  is,  can  never  make  generations  forget 
the  tale  of  how  Custer  and  his  heroic  band  gave  up  their 
lives,  while  fighting  in  the  desolate  country  drained  by 
the  Little  Big  Horn, 

There  are  many  circumstances  connected  with  this  ter- 
rible battle — primarily  the  causes  leading  thereto — which 
must  be  left  to  those  who  write  the  life  of  Gen.  Custer 


378  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

in  extenso,  as  my  purpose  is  rather  to  relate  adventure 
than  explain  personal  grievances  and  mistakes.  Inas- 
much as  not  a  single  soldier  of  Ouster's  command  escaped 
to  relate  particulars  of  the  dreadful  massacre,  many  of 
the  facts  connected  therewith  are  lost  forever,  as  the 
Indians  who  participated  in  the  slaughter  can  hardly  be 
relied  on  to  tell  the  whole  truth  concerning  the  battle. 
What  I  shall  report  here  has  been  collected  from  a  variety 
of  sources,  all  from  scouts  and  soldiers  whose  familiarity 
with  the  country  and  orders  under  which  Gen.  Custer 
was  acting,  the  movements  of  his  troops,  position  of  the 
Indians,  and  mode  of  fighting,  qualify  them  for  forming 
a  most  reasonable  opinion  of  how  Custer  met  the  foe, 
and  how  he  struggled  to  his  death. 

The  Sioux  Indians  have  ever  been  regarded  as  the  most 
intractable  of  Northern  tribes  ;  at  one  time  their  power 
was  so  great  that  they  might  have  contested  successfully 
with  all  the  other  tribes  west  of  the  Mississippi  combined, 
and  In  addition  to  their  superior  numbers  they  are  alto* 
gether  better  soldiers,  brave,  athletic  and  of  marvelous 
endurance. 

When  the  Black  Hills  gold  fever  first  broke  out,  m 
1874,  a  rush  of  miners  into  that  country  resulted  in  much 
trouble,  as  the  Indians  always  regarded  that  region  with 
jealous  interest,  and  resisted  all  encroachments  of  white 
men.  Instead  of  the  Government  adhering  to  the  treaty 
of  1868  and  restraining  white  men  from  going  into  the 
Hills,  Gen.  Custer  was  sent  out,  in  1874,  to  intimidate 
the  Sioux.  The  unrighteous  spirit  of  this  order  the  Gen- 
eral wisely  disregarded,  but  proceeded  to  Prospect  Valley, 
and  from  there  he  pushed  on  to  the  valley  of  the  Little 
Missouri.  Custer  expected  to  find  goo'd  grazing  ground 
in  this  valley,  suitable  for  a  camp  which  he  intended  to 
pitoh  there  for  several  days,  and  reconnoitre,  but  the 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  379 

country  was  comparatively  barren  and  the  march  was 
therefore  continued  to  the  Belle  Fourche  valley,  where 
excellent  grazing,  water,  and  plenty  of  wood  was  found. 

Crossing  the  Fourche  the  expedition  was  now  among 
the  outlying  ranges  of  the  Hills,  where  a  camp  was  made 
and  some  reconnoitering  done ;  but  finding  no  Indians, 
Gen.  Ouster  continued  his  march,  skirting  the  Black  Hills 
and  passing  through  a  country  which  he  described  as 
beautiful  beyond  description,  abounding  with  a  most  lux- 
urious vegetation,  cool,  crystal  streams,  a  profusion  of 
gaudy,  sweet  smelling  flowers,  and  plenty  of  game. 

Proceeding  down  this  lovely  valley,  which  he  appropri- 
ately named  Floral  Park,  an  Indian  camp  fire,  recently 
abandoned,  was  discovered,  and  fearing  a  collision  unless 
pains  were  taken  to  prevent  it,  Ouster  halted  and  sent 
out  his  chief  scout,  Bloody  Knife,  with  twenty  friendly 
Indian  allies  to  trail  the  departed  Sioux.  They  had  gone 
but  a  short  distance  when,  as  Ouster  himself  relates : 
"Two  of  Bloody  Knife's  young  men  came  galloping  back 
and  informed  me  that  they  had  discovered  five  Indian 
lodges  a  few  miles  down  the  valley,  and  that  Bloody  Knife, 
as  directed,  had  concealed  his  party  in  a  wooded  ravine, 
where  they  awaited  further  orders.  Taking  E  company 
with  me,  which  was  afterward  reinforced  by  the  remain- 
der of  the  scouts  and  Ool.  Hart's  company,  I  proceeded 
to  the  ravine  where  Bloody  Knife  and  his  party  lay  con- 
cealed, and  from  the  crest  beyond  obtained  a  full  view  of 
the  five  Indian  lodges,  about  which  a  considerable  num-' 
ber  of  ponies  were  grazing.  I  was  enabled  to  place  my 
command  still  nearer  to  the  lodges  undiscovered.  I  then 
despatched  Agard,  the  interpreter,  with  a  flag  of  truce, 
accompanied  by  ten  of  our  Sioux  scouts,  to  acquaint  the 
occupants  of  the  lodges  that  we  were  friendly  disposed 
and  desired  to  communicate  with  them.  To  prevent 

28 


380 


HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


either  treachery  or  flight  on  their  part,  I  galloped  the  re- 
maining portion  of  my  advance  and  surrounded  the  lodges. 
This  was  accomplished  almost  before  they  were  aware  of 
our  presence.  I  then  entered  the  little  village  and  shook 


hands  with  its  occupants,  assuring  them,  through  tho  in 
terpreter,  that  they  had  no  cause  to  fear,  as  we  were 
there  to  molest  them,  etc*!* 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  381 

Finding  there  was  no  disposition  on  the  part  of  Gen. 
Ouster  to  harm  them,  the  Indians  despatched  a  courier  to 
the  principal  village,  requesting  the  warriors  to  be  present 
at  a  council  with  the  whites.  This  council  was  held  on 
the  following  day,  but  though  Ouster  dispensed  coffee, 
sugar,  bacon  and  other  presents  to  the  Indians,  his  advice 
to  them  regarding  the  occupation  of  their  country  by 
miners  was  treated  with  indifference,  for  which,  he  ob- 
serves in  his  official  report,  "I  cannot  blame  xthe  poor 
savages." 

During  the  summer  of  1875  Gen.  Crook  made  several 
trips  into  the  Black  Hills  to  drive  out  the  miners  and 
maintain  the  Government's  faith,  but  while  he  made  many 
arrests  there  was  no  punishment  and  the  whole  proceed- 
ing became  farcical.  In  August  of  the  same  year  Ouster 
Oity  was  laid  out  and  two  weeks  later  it  contained  a  pop- 
ulatian  of  six  hundred  souls.  These  Gen.  Crook  drove 
out,  but  as  he  marched  from  the  place  others  swarmed 
in  and  the  population  was  immediately  renewed. 

It  was  this  inability,  or  real  indisposition,  of  the  Gov- 
ernment to  enforce  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  1868  that 
led  to  the  bitter  war  with  Sitting  Bull  and  which  termina- 
ted so  disastrously  on  the  25th  of  June,  1876. 

It  is  a  notorious  fact  that  the  Sioux  Indians,  for  four 
years  immediately  preceding  the  Ouster  massacre,  were 
regularly  supplied  with  the  most  improved  fire-arms  and 
ammunition  by  the  agencies  at  Brule,  Grand  River, 
Standing  Kock,  Fort  Berthold,  Cheyenne  and  Fort  Peck. 
Even  during  the  campaign  of  1876,  in  the  months  of 
May,  June  and  July,  just  before  and  after  Ouster  and  his 
band  of  heroes  rode  down  into  the  valley  of  death,  these 
6ghting  Indians  received  eleven  hundred  and  twenty 
Winchester  and  Remington  rifles,  and  413,000  rounds  of 
patent  ammunition,  besides  large  quantities  of  loose  pow- 


382  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

der,  lead  and  primers,  while  during  the  summer  of  1875 
they  received  several  thousand  stand  of  arms  and  more 
than  a  million  rounds  of  ammunition.  With  this  gener- 
ous provision  there  is  no  cause  for  wonder  that  the  Sioux 
were  able  to  resist  the  Government  and  attract  to  their 
aid  all  the  dissatisfied  Cheyennes  and  other  Indians  in  the 
Northwest. 

Besides  a  perfect  fighting  equipment,  all  the  Indians 
recognized  in  Sitting  Bull  the  elements  of  a  great  war- 
rior, one  whose  superior,  perhaps,  has  never  been  known 
among  any  tribe ;  he  combined  all  the  strategic  cunning 
of  Tecumseh,  with  the  cruel,  uncompromising  hatred  of 
Black  Kettle,  while  his  leadership  was  far  superior  to 
both.  Having  decided  to  precipitate  a  terrible  war,  he 
chose  his  position  with  consummate  judgment,  selecting 
a  central  vantage  point  surrounded  by  what  is  known  as 
the  "bad  lands,"  and  then  kept  his  supply  source  open 
by  an  assumed  friendship  with  the  Canadian  French. 
This  he  was  the  better  able  to  accomplish,  since  some 
years  before  he  had  professed  conversion  to  Christianity 
under  the  preaching  of  Father  DeSmet  and  maintaine/d 
a  show  of  great  friendship  for  the  Canadians. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

WAR  against  the  Sioux  having  been  declared,  brought 
about  by  the  combined  causes  of  Black  Hill  outrages  and 
Sitting  Bull's  threatening  attitude,  it  was  decided  to  send 
out  three  separate  expeditions,  one  of  which  should  move 
from  the  north,  under  Gen.  Terry,  from  Fort  Lincoln  ; 
another  from  the  east,  under  Gen.  Gibbon,  from  Fort 


LITE  OF  BUFFALO  BILL.  383 

Ellis,  and  another  from  the  south,  under  Gren.  Crook, 
from  Fort  Fetterrnan  ;  the  movements  were  to  be  simul- 
taneous, and  a  junction  was  expected  to  be  formed  near 
the  headwaters  of  the  Yellowstone  River. 

For  some  cause,  which  I  will  refrain  from  discussing, 
the  commands  did  not  start  at  the  same  time.  Gen. 
Crook  did  not  leave  Fetterman  until  March  1st,  with 
seven  hundred  men  and  forty  days*  supply.  The  com- 
mand was  intrusted  to  Col.  Reynolds,  of  the  Third  Cav- 
alry, accompanied  by  Gen.  Crook,  the  department  com- 
mander. 

Nothing  was  heard  of  this  expedition  until  the  22d 
following,  when  Gen.  Crook  forwarded  from  Ft.  Reno 
a  brief  account  of  his  battle  on  Powder  River.  The 
result  of  this  fight,  whicii  lasted  five  hours,  was  the  de- 
struction of  Crazy  Horse's  village  of  one  hundred  and 
five  lodges.  Or  that  is  the  way  the  dispatch  read,  though 
many  assert  that  the  battle  resulted  in  little  else  than  a 
series  of  remarkable  blunders  which  suffered  the  Indians 
to  make  good  their  escape,  losing  only  a  small  quantity 
of  their  property. 

One  serious  trouble  arose  out  of  the  Powder  River 
fight,  which  was  found  in  an  assertion  made  by  Gen. 
Crook,  or  at  least  attributed  to  him,  that  his  expedition 
had  proved  that  instead  of  there  being  15,000  or  20,- 
000  hostile  Indians  in  the  Black  Hills  and  Big  Horn  coun- 
try, that  the  total  number  would  not  exceed  2,000.  It 
was  upon  this  estimation  that  the  expeditions  were  pre- 
pared. 

The  Terry  column,  which  was  commanded  by  Gen. 
Custer,  consisted  of  twelve  companies  of  the  Seventh 
Cavalry,  and  three  companies  of  the  Sixth  and  Seven- 
teenth Infantry,  with  four  Gatling  guns,  and  a  detach- 
ment of  Indian  scouts.  This  force  comprised  twenty- 


384  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

eight  officers  and  seven  hundred  and  forty-seven  men,  of 
the  Seventh  Cavalry  ,  eight  officers  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  men  of  the  Sixth  and  Seventeenth  Infantry, 
two  officers  and  thirty-two  men  in  charge  of  the  Gatlmg 
battery,  and  forty -five  enlisted  Indian  scouts,  a  grand 
total  of  thirty-eight  officers  and  nine  hundred  and  fifty- 
nine  men,  including  scouts. 

The  combined  forces  of  Crook,  Gibbon,  Terry  and 
Custer,  did  not  exceed  twenty-seven  hundred  men,  while 
opposed  to  them  were  fully  17,000  Indians,  all  of  whom 
were  provided  with  the  latest  and  most  approved  patterns 
of  repeating  rifles. 

On  the  16th  of  June  Gen.  Crook  started  for  the  Rose^ 
bud,  on  which  stream  it  was  reported  that  Sitting  Bull 
and  Crazy  Horse  were  stationed  ;  about  the  same  time  a 
party  of  Crow  Indians,  who  were  operating  with  Gen. 
Crook,  returned  from  a  scout  and  reported  that  Gen.  Gib- 
bon, who  was  on  Tongue  River,  had  been  attacked  by 
Sitting  Bull,  who  had  captured  several  horses.  Crook 
pushed  on  rapidly  toward  the  Rosebud ,  leaving  his  train 
behind  and  mounting  his  infantry  on  mules.  What 
were  deemed  accurate  reports,  stated  that  Sitting  Bull 
was  still  on  the  Rosebud,  only  sixty  miles  from  the 
point  where  Gen.  Crook  camped  on  the  night  of  the  15th 
of  June.  The  command  traveled  forty  miles  on  the  six- 
teenth, and  when  within  twenty  miles  of  the  Sioux* 
principal  position,  instead  of  pushing  on,  Gen.  Crook 
went  into  camp. 

The  next  morning  he  was  much  surprised  at  finding 
himself  attacked  by  Sitting  Bull,  who  swooped  down  on 
him  with  the  first  streaks  of  coming  dawn,  and  a  heavy 
battle  followed.  Gen.  Crook,  who  had  camped  in  a  basin 
surrounded  on  all  sides  by  high  hills,  soon  found  his  posi- 
tion so  dangerous  that  it  must  be  changed  at  all  hazards. 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  386 

The  advance  was  therefore  sounded  with  Noyes'  battal- 
ion occupying  a  position  on  the  right,  Milk  on  the  right 
icentre,  Chambers  in  the  centre,  and  the  Indian  allies  on 
the  left.  Mills  and  Noyes  charged  the  enemy  in  magnifi- 
cent style,  breaking  the  line  and  striking  the  rear.  The 
fight  continued  hot  and  furious  until  2  p.  M.,  when  a  gal- 
lant charge  of  Col.  Roy  all,  who  was  in  reserve,  supported 
by  the  Indian  allies,  caused  the  Sioux  to  draw  off  to  their 
village,  six  miles  distant,  while  Gen.  Crook  went  into 
camp,  where  he  remained  inactive  for  two  days. 

In  the  meantime,  as  the  official  report  recites  :  "Gen- 
erals Terry  and  Gibbon  communicated  with  each  other 
June  1st,  near  the  junction  of  the  Tongue  and  Yellow- 
stone Rivers,  and  learned  that  a  heavy  force  of  Indians 
had  concentrated  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Yellow- 
stone, but  eighteen  miles  distant.  For  fourteen  days  the 
Indian  pickets  had  confronted  Gibbon's  videttes." 

Gen.  Gibbon  reported  to  Gen.  Terry  that  the  cavalry 
had  thoroughly  scouted  the  Yellowstone  as  far  as  the 
mouth  of  the  Big  Horn,  and  no  Indians  had  crossed  it. 
It  was  now  certain  that  they  were  not  prepared  for  them, 
and  on  the  Powder,  Tongue,  Rosebud,  Little  Horn  or  Big 
Horn  Rivers,  Gen.  Terry  at  once  commenced  feeling  for 
them. 

Major  Reno,  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry,  with  six  compa- 
nies of  that  regiment,  was  sent  up  Powder  River  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  to  the  mouth  of  Little  Powder 
to  look  for  the  Indians,  and,  if  possible,  to  communi- 
cate with  Gen.  Crook.  He  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Powder  in  five  days,  but  saw  no  Indians,  and  could 
hear  nothing  of  Crook.  As  he  returned,  he  found  on  the 
Rosebud  a  very  large  Indian  trail,  about  nine  days  old, 
and  followed  it  a  short  distance,  when  he  turned  about  up 
Tongue  River,  and  reported  to  Gen.  Terry  what  hp  had 


386  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

seen.  It  was  now  known  that  no  Indians  were  on  either 
Tongue  or  Powder  Rivers,  and  the  net  had  narrowed  down 
to  Rosebud,  Little  Horn  or  Big  Horn  Rivers. 

Gen.  Terry,  who  had  been  waiting  with  Custer  and  the 
steamer  Far  West,  at  the  mouth  of  Tongue  River,  for 
Reno's  report,  as  soon  as  he  heard  it,  ordered  Custer  to 
march  up  the  south  bank  to  a  point  opposite  Gen.  Gib- 
bon, who  was  encamped  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone. Terry,  on  board  the  steamer  Far  West,  pushed 
up  the  Yellowstone,  keeping  abreast  of  Gen.  Ouster's 
column. 

Gen.  Gibbon  was  found  in  camp,  quietly  awaiting  de- 
velopments. A  consultation  was  had  with  Gens.  Gibbon 
and  Custer,  and  then  Gen.  Terry  definitely  fixed  upon 
the  plan  of  action.  It  was  believed  the  Indians  were  on 
the  head  of  the  Rosebud,  or  over  on  the  Little  Horn,  a 
dividing  ridge  only  fifteen  miles  wide  separating  the  two 
streams.  It  was  announced  by  Gen.  Terry  that  Gen. 
Custer' s  column  "would  strike  the  blow.'* 

At  the  time  a  junction  was  formed  between  Gibbon 
and  Terry,  Gen.  Crook  was  about  one  hundred  miles 
from  them,  while  Sitting  Bull's  forces  were  between  the 
commands.  Crook,  after  his  battle,  fell  back  to  the 
head  of  Tongue  River.  The  Powder,  Tongue,  Rosebud 
and  Big  Horn  Rivers  all  flow  northwest,  and  empty  into 
the  Yellowstone  ;  as  Sitting  Bull  was  between  the  head- 
waters of  the  Rosebud  and  Big  Horn,  the  main  tributary 
of  the  latter  being  known  as  the  Little  Big  Horn,  with 
this  knowledge  of  the  topography  of  the  country,  it  is 
easy  to  definitely  locate  Sitting  Bull  and  his  forces. 

Having  now  ascertained  the  position  of  the  enemy,  or 
reasoned  out  the  probable  position,  Gen.  Terry  sent  a 
dispatch  to  Gen.  Sheridan,  as  follows  : 

"  No  Indians  have  been  met  with  as  yet,  but  traces  of 


LIFE    OF    BUFFALO    BIL'L.  387 

a  large  and  recent  camp  have  been  discovered  twenty  or 
thirty  miles  up  the  Rosebud.  Gibbon's  column,  will 
move  this  morning  on  the  north  side  of  the  Yellowstone, 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn,  where  it  will  be  ferried 
across  by  the  supply  steamer,  and  whence  it  will  proceed 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Horn,  and  so  on.  Ouster  will 
go  up  the  Rosebud  to-morrow  with  his  whole  regiment, 
and  thence  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Little  Horn,  thence 
down  that  stream." 

Following  this  report  came  an  order,  signed  by  E.  W.' 
Smith,  Captain  of  the  Eighteenth  Infantry,  Acting  As- 
sistant Adjutant  General,  directing  Gen.  Custer  to  folio w 
the  Indian  trail  discovered,  pushing  the  Indians  from  one 
side,  while  Gen.  Gibbon  pursued  them  from  an  opposite 
direction.  As  no  instructions  were  given  as  to  the  rate 
each  division  should  travel,  Custer,  noted  for  his  quick, 
energetic  movements,  made  ninety  miles  the  first  three 
days,  and,  discovering  the  Indians  in  large  numbers,  di- 
vided his  command  into  three  divisions,  one  of  which  he 
placed  under  Major  Reno,  another  under  Major  Benteen, 
and  led  the  other  himself. 

As  Custer  made  a  detour  to  enter  the  village,  Reno 
struck  a  large  body  of  Indians,  who,  after  retreating 
nearly  three  miles,  turned  on  the  troops  and  ran  them 
pell  mell  across  Grassy  Creek  into  the  woods.  Reno 
overestimated  the  strength  of  his  enemies  and  thought  he 
was  being  surrounded.  Benteen  came  up  to  the  support 
of  Reno,  but  he  too  took  fright  and  got  out  of  his  posi- 
tion without  striking  the  enemy. 

While  Reno  and  Benteen  were  trying  to  keep  open  a 
way  for  their  retreat,  Custer  charged  on  the  village,  first 
sending  a  courier,  Trumpeter  Martin,  to  Reno  and  Ben- 
teen with  the  following  dispatch  :  *  *  Big  village  ;  be  quick ; 
send  on  the  packs."  This  order  was  too  plain  to  be  mis- 


388  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

construed.  It  clearly  meant  that  he  had  discovered  the 
Tillage,  which  he  intended  attacking  at  once  ;  to  hurry  for- 
ward to  his  support  and  bring  up  the  packs,  ambulances, 
etc.  But  instead  of  obeying  orders,  Reno  and  Benteen 
stood  aloof,  fearful  lest  they  should  endanger  their  posi- 
tion, while  the  brave  Ouster  and  his  squad  of  noble  he- 
roes rushed  down  like  a  terrible  avalanche  upon  the  In- 
dian village.  In  a  moment,  fateful  incident,  the  Indians 
came  swarming  about  that  heroic  band  until  the  very 
earth  seemed  to  open  and  let  loose  the  elements  of  vol- 
canic fury,  and  the  fiends  of  Erebus,  blazing  with  the  hot 
sulphur  of  their  impious  dominion.  Down  from  the 
hillsides,  up  through  the  valleys,  that  dreadful  torrent  of 
Indian  cruelty  and  massacre  poured  around  the  little 
squad  to  swallow  it  up  with  one  grand  swoop  of  fire. 
But  Custer  was  there  at  the  head,  like  Spartacus  fighting 
the  legions  about  him,  tall,  graceful,  brave  as  a  lion  at 
bay,  and  with  thunderbolts  in  his  hands.  His  brave  fol- 
lowers formed  a  hollow  square,  and  met  the  rush,  and 
roar,  and  fury  of  the  demons.  Bravely  they  breasted 
that  battle  shock,  bravely  stood  up  and  faced  the  leaden 
hail,  nor  quailed  when  looking  into  the  blazing  muzzles  of 
five  thousand  deadly  rifles. 

Brushing  away  the  powder  grimes  that  had  settled  in 
his  face,  Custer  looked  over  the  boiling  sea  of  fury 
around  him,  peering  through  the  smoke  for  some  signs  of 
Reno  and  Benteen,  but,  seeing  none  and  thinking  of  the 
aid  which  must  soon  come,  with  cheering  words  to  his 
comrades,  he  renewed  the  battle,  fighting  still  like  a  Her- 
cules and  piling  heaps  of  victims  around  his  very  feet. 

Hour  after  hour  passed  and  yet  no  friendly  sign  of  Re- 
no's coming  ;  nothing  to  be  seen  saving  the  battle  smoke, 
streaks  of  fire  splitting  through  the  misty  clouds,  blood 
flowing  in  rivulets  under  tramping  feet,  dying  comrades. 


LIFE  OF  BUFFALO   BILL.  391 

and  Indians  swarming  about  him,  rending  the  air  with 
their  demoniacal  "hi-yi-yip-yah, — yah-hi-yah." 

The  fight  continued  with  unabated  fury  until  late  in 
the  afternoon  ;  men  had  sunk  down  beside  their  gallant 
leader  until  there  was  but  a  handful  left,  only  a  dozen, 
bleeding  from  many  wounds,  and  hot  carbines  in  their 
stiffening  hands.  The  day  is  almost  done,  when,  look  ! 
heaven  now  defend  him  !  the  charm  of  his  life  is  broken, 
for  Custer  has  fallen  ;  a  bullet  cleaves  a  pathway  through 
his  side,  and  as  he  falters  another  strikes  his  noble 
breast.  Like  a  strong  oak  stricken  by  the  lightning' s  bolt, 
shivering  the  mighty  trunk  and  bending  its  withering 
branches  down  close  to  the  earth,  so  fell  Custer;  but  like 
the  reacting  branches,  he  rises  partly  up  again,  and 
striking  out  like  a  fatally  wounded  giant  lays  three  more 
Indians  dead  and  breaks  his  mighty  sword  on  the  musket 
of  a  fourth;  then,  with  useless  blade  and  empty  pistol 
falls  back  the  victim  of  a  dozen  wounds.  He  is  the  last 
to  succumb  to  death,  and  dies,  too,  with  the  glory  of  ac- 
complished duty  in  his  conscience  and  the  benediction  of 
a  grateful  country  on  his  head. 

"So  sleeps  the  brave  who  sank  to  rest, 
By  all  his  country's  wishes  blessed. " 

The  place  where  fell  these  noblest  of  God's  heroes  is 
sacred  ground,  and  though  it  be  the  Golgotha  of  a  na- 
tion's mistakes  it  is  bathed  with  precious  blood,  rich  with 
the  germs  of  heroic  inheritance. 

"  It  was  the  last  HDation  Liberty  draws 
From  the  hearts  that  break  and  bleed  in  her  cause." 

I  have  avoided  attaching  blame  to  any  one,  using  only 
the  facts  that  have  been  furnished  me  of  how  Custer 
came  to  attack  the  Sioux  village  and  how  and  why  he 
died. 

When  the  news  of  the  terrible  massacre  was  learned, 


392 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


soldiers  everywhere  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  sacred 
place,  and  friendly  hands  reared  a  monument  on  that 
distant  spot,  commemorative  of  the  heroism  of  Custer 


and  his  men  ;  collected  together  all  the  bones  audl  relic* 
of  the  battle  and  piled  them  up  in  pyramidal  form,  where 
they  stand  in  sunshine  and  in  storm,  overlooking  the 


or  BUFFALO  BILL.  393 

Little  Big  Horn.  The  engraving  herewith  given  is  from 
a  photograph  taken  while  a  heavy  snow-storm  was  pre- 
vailing. 


CHAPTER  XXH. 

AFTER  the  massacre  of  Ouster's  little  band,  there  was 
great  activity  in  military  movements  in  the  Northwest, 
and  an  almost  consuming  desire  to  give  the  Sioux  and 
Cheyennes  a  touch  of  wholesale  retaliation.  With  the 
news  of  the  disaster  came  a  report  from  Col.  San  ton,  of 
the  Fifth  Cavalry,  informing  Gen.  Merritt  that  eight  hun- 
dred Cheyenne  warriors  had  left  the  Eed  Cloud  Agency 
to  join  Sitting  Bull  on  the  Big  Horn,  and  instructing  him 
to  join  Gen.  Crook  at  Ft.  Fetterman. 

Instead  of  following  the  strict  letter  of  the  order,  Gen- 
Merritt,  with  Buffalo  Bill  as  his  chief  of  scouts,  con- 
cluded to  intercept  the  Cheyennes,  a  most  commendable 
purpose,  which  happily  justified  his  good  judgment. 

Selecting  five  hundred  of  his  best  men  and  horses, 
Gen.  Merritt  made  a  forced  march  toward  War  Bonnet 
Creek,  which  he  knew  the  Indians  must  cross,  and  at  a 
point,  too,  which  he  estimated  it  would  be  easy  to  reach 
in  advance  of  them. 

On  July  17th  the  command  reached  the  creek,  and 
Buffalo  Bill  was  sent  out  to  discover  if  the  Cheyennes 
had  yet  effected  a  crossing,  but  finding  no  trail  he  con- 
tinued scouting  for  some  distance,  and  was  rewarded  by 
seeing  a  large  body  of  Indians  approaching  from  the 
south.  Bill  rode  rapidly  back  to  camp  to  acquaint  Gen. 
Merritt  of  his  discovery,  whereupon  the  cavalry  was 
ordered  to  mount  and  hold  themselves  in  readiness,  whilo 


394  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Bill  and  the  General  should  ride  out  on  a  tour  of  obser< 
vation.  Selecting  a  high  knoll,  by  the  use  of  field  glasses, 
the  Cheyennes  were  plainly  seen  riding  directly  toward 
Gen.  Merritt's  camp.  Presently  a  party  of  fifteen  Indi- 
ans were  observed  to  leave  the  main  body  and  ride  at  a 
furious  pace  northward,  and  scanning  the  surroundings 
critically  to  ascertain  the  cause,  Bill  saw  two  mounted 
soldiers,  evidently  couriers,  trying  to  reach  Gen.  Merritt's 
camp.  In  order  not  to  apprise  the  Indians  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  regiment,  Bill  suggested  to  the  General  the 
advisability  of  waiting  until  the  couriers  should  come  near 
the  command,  when,  having  led  the  fifteen  Indians  some 
distance  from  the  main  party,  he  would  take  the  othef 
scouts  and  cut  the  squad  off  so  as  to  insure  their  capture. 

Gen.  Merritt  approving  of  Bill's  idea,  the  latter  rode 
back  to  camp,  selected  fifteen  men  and  hurried  to  a  place 
of  concealment,  where  he  waited  for  the  pursuers.  It 
was  but  a  few  moments  until  the  couriers  dashed  by  with 
the  Indians  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards  in  the  rear- 
Bill  and  his  men  leaped  out  of  their  ambush  and  sent  P 
rattling  fire  after  the  Indians,  three  of  whom  were  killed ; 
the  rest  turned  and  ran  back  to  the  main  party,  which 
had  halted  upon  hearing  the  rapid  firing. 

After  stopping  for  a  few  moments  the  Cheyennes  re- 
newed their  march,  thinking  they  were  opposed  by  a 
small  body  that  would  offer  no  particular  resistance. 
Another  advance  party  of  twenty  Indians  was  sent  out 
from  the  main  body,  and  as  they  approached  near,  BilJ 
and  his  men  charged  them,  but  the  Indianj,  seeing  theii 
numbers  were  superior,  made  a  stand,  and  a  lively  fight 
ensued.  Each  side  then  duw  off,  and  while  they  stood 
studying  their  opportunities,  one  of  the  Indians,  richly 
dressed  in  a  chief's  ornamentation,  large  war  bonnet, 
capped  with  eagle's  feathers,  and  carrying  a  Winchester 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  395 

rifle,  rode  out  from  his  squad  several  rods,  and  made  the 
following  speech,  addressing  Buffalo  Bill,  whom  he  had 
seen  before,  and  heard  much  of. 

"Me  know  you,  Pa-he-has-ka  (the  Indian  for  "long 
hair' ' ) ,  you  great  chief,  kill  many  Indians  ;  me  great  chief, 
kill  many  pale  faces  ;  come  on  now  fight  me." 

Here  was  a  direct  challenge,  and  Buffalo  Bill  was  not 
the  man  to  decline  it.  He  would  not  have  sjirunk  from 
fighting  a  duel  with  any  living  man  ;  so  he  shouted  back 
to  the  chief : 

"  I'll  fight  you ;  come  on  ;  let  Indians  and  white  men 
stand  off  and  see  the  Red  Chief  and  Long  Hair  fight  with 
rifles." 

\  This  was  a  genuine  novelty,  and  of  such  an  exciting 
nature  that  the  troops  advanced  to  a  position  command- 
ing a  view  of  the  battle  ground,  while  the  Indians  rode 
up  also  sufficiently  close  to  witness  the  combat. 

When  everything  was  in  readiness,  Bill  advanced  on 
horseback  about  fifty  yards  toward  his  opponent,  and  then 
the  two  started  toward  each  other  on  a  dead  run.  They 
Were  scarcely  thirty  yards  apart  when  both  their  rifles 
were  discharged  simultaneously.  The  Indian's  horse  fell 
dead,  having  been  struck  by  the  bullet  from  Bill's  rifle, 
and  at  the  same  time  thelatter's  horse  stepped  into  a  hole 
and  tumbled  over;  thus  they  were  both  dismounted. 
Bill  was  not  hurt  by  the  fall,  and  springing  to  his  feet, 
he  faced  his  recovered  antagonist,  now  not  more  than 
twenty  paces  distant.  Again  the  two  fired  almost  simul- 
taneously, but  the  Indian  missed,  while  Bill's  aim  was 
good,  his  bullet  planting  itself  in  the  chief's  breast.  As 
the  Indian  reeled  and  fell  Bill  leaped  on  him  and  in  the 
next  instant  had  thrust  his  bowie-knife  into  the  warrior's 
heart.  With  a  skillful  movement,  acquired  only  after  long 
practice,  Bill  tore  the  war-bonnet  off  his  victim's  head  and 


396  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

then  scalped  him  in  the  most  gentlemanly  and  dexterous 
manner.  Then  holding  up  the  bonnet  and  reeking  cap^ 
sheaf,  he  exclaimed  : 

< '  The  first  scalp  for  Ouster  /' ' 

Following  this  event,  which  was  a  display  of  genuine 
pluck  very  few  men  possess,  the  main  body  of  Cheyennes 
charged  down  on  Bill  and  would  have  killed  him  had  not 
the  cavalry  been  so  near  that  they  intercepted  the  savages 
before  they  could  reach  him. 

Finding  that  the  Indians  could  not  now  be  ambushed. 
Gen.  Merritt  ordered  his  troops  to  charge,  and  a  running 
fight  ensued  for  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  the  Cheyennes 
retreating  toward  Red  Cloud  Agency,  to  which  point  the 
pursuit  was  continued.  Upon  arriving  at  the  agency,  a 
thousand  dissatisfied  Indians  were  found  discussing  the 
advisability  of  joining  Sitting  Bull,  but  they  offered  no 
hostility  to  the  Fifth  Cavalry,  which  stood  ready  to  fight 
the  entire  Cheyenne  tribe. 

At  Red  Cloud  Bill  learned  that  the  name  of  his  victim 
in  the  rifle  duel  was  Yellow  Hand,  son  of  Cut  Nose,  one 
of  the  leading  Cheyenne  chiefs.  Upon  hearing  of  the 
death  of  his  son,  this  chief  sent  a  white  interpreter  to 
Buffalo  Bill,  offering  four  mules  for  the  return  of  Yellow 
Hand's  scalp,  ornaments,  gun,  pistols  and  knife,  which 
Bill  had  captured,  but  the  messenger  had  to  return  with- 
out the  trophies. 

Leaving  Red  Cloud  Agency,  Gen.  Merritt  started  to 
join  Gen.  Crook,  who  was  encamped  near  Cloud  Peak, 
in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains.  A  junction  was  made  on 
the  third  of  August  at  Goose  Creek,  and  after  remaining 
in  camp  one  day  the  united  expedition  set  out  for  Tongue 
River,  leaving  their  trains  behind  them.  Reaching  that 
point,  they  marched  on  to  the  Rosebud,  where  a  large 
Indian  trail,  indicating  seven  thousand  warriors,  was 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  399 

struck,  which  the  command  followed  for  several  miles, 
but  as  the  trail  was  four  days  old,  and  the  Indians  were 
traveling  very  rapidly,  the  pursuit  was  abandoned  for 
the  day. 

While  on  the  Rosebud  the  command  was  met  by  Capt. 
Jack  Crawford,  whose  familiar  title  is  "  Capt.  Jack,  the 
Poet  Scout  of  the  Black  Hills."  Jack  brought  dis- 
patches to  Gen.  Crook  from  Ft.  Fetterman,  distant  three 
hundred  miles,  through  a  country  as  full  of  hair-lifting 
Indians  as  Italy  is  of  beggars,  but  he  got  through  all 
right,  without  losing  a  hair. 

After  remaining  in.  camp  one  night,  the  command 
pushed  on  again,  following  the  large  trail  down  the  Rose- 
bud for  five  days,  but  no  Indians  were  seen.  A  cloud  of 
dust  and  a  large  party  of  horsemen,  however,  caused  a 
rapid  preparation  for  battle,  but  when  each  side  was 
ready  for  action  the  discovery  was  made  that  the  ap- 
proaching party  was  Gen.  Terry's  command  and  some> 
friendly  Nez  Perces  and  Snakes. 

When  the  two  armies  came  together  Col.  Weir  recog- 
nized Buffalo  Bill,  and  at  once  pulled  off  his  hat  and 
shouted : 

" Here's  Buffalo  Bill.  God  bless  him!  give  him  a 
cheer!"  and  the  whole  command  responded  in  the 
heartiest  manner. 

After  a  lengthy  council  between  Generals  Terry  and 
Crook,  the  Fifth  Infantry  was  ordered  to  return  by  forced 
march  to  the  Yellowstone,  and  from  there  proceed  by 
boat  down  to  the  mouth  of  Powder  river,  that  they  might 
intercept  any  Indians  attempting  to  cross  at  that  point. 

The  main  consolidated  command  continued  to  follow 
the  large  trail  for  several  days,  but  seeing  no  Indians  and 
running  short  of  supplies,  a  return  was  made  to  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Powder  and  Yellowstone  rivers,  where  a 
permanent  camp  was  established* 


400  HEROES  OF   THE  PLADT8. 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 

WHILE  lying  in  camp  on  the  Yellowstone,  Bill  and  a 
half-breed  named  Louis  Richard  were  ordered  to  accom- 
pany Gen.  Mills  on  a  scouting  expedition  down  the  Yel- 
lowstone on  the  steamer  Far  West.  This  novel  idea  em- 
anated from  Gen.  Terry,  who  thought  that  a  steamboat 
was  a  good  thing  to  beat  up  an  Indian  trail  at  the  cross- 
ings. Four  companies  were  taken  on  board  for  both  de- 
fensive and  offensive  purposes. 

When  the  boat  started  down  the  river  Bill  and  Richard 
took  up  a  position  on  top  of  the  pilot  house,  from  which 
point  of  observation  a  large  scope  of  country  lay  before 
their  view.  But  the  boat  proceeded  as  far  as  Glendive 
Creek  without  any  Indians  being  seen  by  the  "  outlook- 
ers."  At  this  point  Col.  Rice,  in  charge  of  one  company 
of  the  Fifth  Infantry,  was  met,  who,  the  day  previous, 
had  fought  a  party  of  Indians  with  a  Rodman  cannon  and 
killed  three  of  their  number. 

Having  to  remain  over  night  at  Glendive  Creek,  Gen. 
Mills  desired  to  communicate  with  Gen.  Terry,  and,  of 
course,  selected  Bill  to  carry  the  message,  as  the  route 
was  the  roughest  as  well  as  the  most  dangerous  that  a 
man  ever  traveled  over.  But  Bill  performed  the  duty 
without  a  word  of  complaint,  and  during  the  night  rode 
seventy-five  miles  through  the  bad  lands,  reaching  Gen, 
Terry's  camp  at  daylight  next  morning. 

The  bad  lands,  so  called  because  no  worse  designation 
could  be  thought  of  at  the  time  by  the  party  who  named 
them,  are  a  barren  waste  of  country,  over  which  it  is  most 
dangerous  to  travel,  owing  to  the  numerous  broad  fissures 
which  run  zig-zag  and  in  every  direction,  like  the  cracks 
which  appear  in  the  basins  of  recently  dried  up  ponds  io 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  401 

summer  time  ;  the  only  difference  being  that  in  the  bad 
lands  these  cracks  are  from  two  to  six  inches  wide,  some 
even  much  wider,  and  extending  to  a  depth  of  many 
feet.  In  riding  through  such  a  country,  especially  during 
the  night,  the  dangers  may  be  readily  understood.  In 
the  trip  made  by  Buffalo  Bill,  he  was  thrown  from  his 
horse  several  times,  and  upon  reaching  Gen.  Terry's 
camp  there  were  bruises  all  over  his  body. 

As  it  now  appeared  certain  that  Sitting  Bull  had  started 
for  the  British  possessions,  and  that  the  prospects  for 
further  fighting  were  decidedly  indefinite,  Bill  concluded 
to  start  east  again  for  the  purpose  of  making  prepara- 
tions for  the  approaching  theatrical  season .  He  had  con- 
ceived the  idea  that  a  drama,  with  all  its  situations  based 
upon  the  Sioux  war,  would  form  a  very  successful  enter- 
prise, and  was  determined  to  try  the  experiment.  Ac- 
cordingly, taking  his  leave  of  Generals  Terry  and  Crook, 
who  were  then  packing  up  to  start  out  on  the  old  Indian 
trail  on  Powder  River,  he  took  the  down-going  steamer 
on  the  Yellowstone  for  Ft.  Beauford  ;  but  after  proceed- 
ing twenty  miles,  another  steamer  was  met,  coming  up 
the  river,  having  on  board  Gen.  Whistler,  with  a  body  of 
soldiers  who  were  en  route  to  join  Gen.  Crook.  The  two 
boats  landed  together,  and  among  the  first  persons  Bill 
met  among  the  passengers,  was  Texas  Jack,  who  had  been 
employed  as  dispatch  carrier  for  the  New  York  Herald. 

Gen.  Whistler  interviewed  Bill  regarding  the  campaign, 
and  learning  that  Crook  and  Terry  had  left  the  camp  at 
the  mouth  of  Powder  River,  he  begged  of  Bill  to  cany 
some  dispatches  which  he  had  from  Gen.  Sheridan  to 
Gen.  Terry.  Being  now  on  his  journey  to  the  East,  Bill 
tried  to  avoid  making  the  trip,  but  upon  learning  that  no 
other  person  with  Gen.  Whistler  would  perform  the  duty, 
he  consented,  and  that  morning,  mounted  on  the  Gener- 


402  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

al's  fine  thoroughbred,  he  started  out  to  overtake  Gren- 
Terry,  which  he  accomplished  before  dark. 

After  Bill  had  taken  lunch,  Gen.  Terry  requested  him 
to  carry  a  message  back  to  Gen.  Whistler.  This  duty  he 
gladly  performed,  as  it  was  over  the  route  he  would  have 
to  take  anyhow,  and  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  Bill 
arrived  at  the  boat.  He  was  astounded,  upon  delivering 
the  message,  to  hear  the  following  address  from  Gen. 
Whistler : 

"  Mr.  Cody,  immediately  after  your  departure  yester- 
day morning,  a  considerable  body  of  Indians  made  their 
appearance  in  the  vicinity,  and  have  been  skirmishing 
around  the  boat  ever  since.  As  my  force  here  is  insig- 
nificant, I  am  very  anxious  to  communicate  again  with 
Generals  Terry  and  Crook.  I  tried  in  vain,  all  day  yes- 
terday, to  induce  some  one  to  carry  my  message,  and 
while  I  feel  that  it  is  asking  too  much  of  you,  really,  the 
matter  is  of  so  much  importance  that,  as  a  last  resort,  1 
am  compelled  to  ask  you  to  take  my  dispatch.  I'll  give 
you  any  horse  you  want,  and  see  that  you  are  well  paid 
for  the  service." 

"  Never  mind  the  pay,  General;  if  your  message  is 
ready  I  will  start  back  again,"  was  Bill's  answer. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  brave  scout  set  out 
on  his  return  to  Gen.  Terry,  regardless  of  the  cordon  of 
Indians  that  surrounded  the  boat.  His  woods-craft  ena- 
bled him  to  pass  through  the  lines  unobserved,  and  in 
four  hours  from  the  time  of  leaving  the  boat,  he  dashed 
into  Gen.  Terry's  camp  just  as  the  command  was  on  the 
point  of  moving.  After  reading  Gen.  Whistler's  mes- 
sage, Terry  held  a  council  with  Crook,  which  resulted  in 
the  latter  continuing  on  the  trail,  while  Terry  turned 
back  to  the  Yellowstone,  which  he  crossed  on  boats,  and 
then  pushed  his  forces  in  the  direction  of  the  Dry  Fork 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BELL.  403 

of  the  Missouri,  Bill  acting  as  guide  at  Gen.  Terry's 
urgent  request.  The  command  marched  for  three  days, 
until  they  reached  the  buffalo  range,  where  numerous 
fresh  signs  of  Indians,  who  had  evidently  been  hunting, 
were  discovered. 

At  this  point  Gen.  Terry  asked  Bill  to  carry  a  dis- 
patch to  Col.  Rice,  who  was  still  in  camp  at  Glendive 
Creek,  eighty  miles  distant.  Night  had  already  set  in, 
and  with  it  came  a  drizzling  rain  and  a  terrible  wind- 
storm. Notwithstanding  the  darkness,  and  the  further 
fact  that  Bill  had  never  before  set  foot  in  that  section  of 
country,  he  set  out  at  ten  o'clock  and  traveled  as  best  he 
could  until  morning,  having  made  about  thirty-five  miles. 
As  the  country  was  full  of  predatory  bands  of  Indians, 
he  selected  a  place  affording  excellent  concealment, 
with  the  intention  of  remaining  there  until  night,  as  to 
have  attempted  a  passage  of  the  prairies  during  daylight 
on  a  poor  horse,  such  as  he  was  riding,  would  have  been 
suicidal. 

After  eating  a  breakfast  of  bacon  and  crackers,  he  lay 
down  for  a  sleep,  but  an  hour  or  more  afterward  he  was 
awakened  by  a  rumbling  noise,  and  crawling  to  the 
edge  of  the  bluff  he  was  on,  he  looked  out  over  the  prai- 
rie below  and  saw  a  large  hunting  party  of  Indians  chas- 
ing buffaloes,  which  they  were  killing  and  packing  on 
their  ponies.  This  they  continued  for  fully  two  hours, 
and  when  their  meat  was  secured  they  started  off  in  the 
direction  which  Bill  must  travel  to  reach  Glendive  Creek. 
It  was  pretty  certain  that  the  camp  of  the  Indians  was 
somewhere  along  his  route,  but  Bill  never  hesitated  on 
that  account  to  continue  his  journey. 

When  the  shades  of  night  had  deepened,  he  mounted 
again  and  set  out,  and  by  making  a  large  semi-circle  he 
avoided  the  Indians  and  reached  Col.  Rice  at  daylight 


404  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

the  following  morning.  After  delivering  Gen.  Terry's 
message  Bill  bade  adieu  to  Col.  Rice,  and  again  embark- 
ing on  the  Far  West,  he  proceeded  down  the  Yellowstone 
to  Bismarck,  where  he  took  passage  by  rail  to  Rochester, 
New  York. 

After  meeting  his  family,  he  began  preparations  for 
his  next  theatrical  tour,  by  employing  a  gentleman  to  write 
a  drama  for  him  which  would  introduce  the  striking  situ- 
ations of  the  Sioux  war.  The  play  was  soon  prepared ,  and 
was  in  five  acts,  nearly  all  of  which  were  replete  with  mimic 
battles  and  scalping  picnics.  The  performance  invaria- 
bly filled  the  house  and  brought  down  the  galleries,  so 
that  the  season  proved  successful  even  beyond  anticipa- 
tion. 

While  in  New  York,  Bill  had  a  novel  bridle  made,  the 
like  of  which  was  never  before  seen.  In  all  his  Indian 
fights  he  had  made  it  a  point  to  preserve  the  hair  and 
scalps  of  all  his  victims  (and  they  were  hundreds),  and 
with  curious  impulse  he  had  a  bridle  made  of  the  hair 
thus  preserved  ;  it  was  most  deftly  worked  by  a  skillful 
hair  artist,  while  the  bit,  buckles  and  side  stars  were  of 
bullion  silver  handsomely  engraved.  The  whole,  when 
completed,  was  a  master-piece  of  workmanship,  and  such 
a  novelty,  besides,  that  August  Belmont  offered  Bill  one 
thousand  dollars  for  it.  But  this  offer  was  refused,  as 
the  bridle  had  been  made  for  a  special  purpose — for 
presentation  to  Miss  Emma  Lake,  the  world's  famous 
equestrienne.  It  was  accordingly  given  to  this  admirable 
little  lady,  who  has  exhibited  the  bridle  in  nearly  all  the 
leading  cities  of  America. 

During  the  season  of  1876-77,  Bill  visited  all  the  East- 
ern cities,  and  then  made  a  tour  of  California,  where  he 
met  with  unexampled  success.  Upon  his  return,  he  and 
Major  North  located  a  ranche  on  the  South  Fork  of  the 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL,  405 

Dismal  River,  in  Nebraska,  upon  which  they  placed  a 
large  herd  of  cattle,  the  marking  and  branding  of  which 
occupied  him  the  entire  summer.  In  the  following  fall 
Bill  visited  Eed  Cloud  Agency,  where  he  engaged  a  party 
of  Sioux  Indians  to  accompany  him  on  his  theatrical  tour 
of  1877-78.  He  then  returned  with  these  to  Rochester, 
where,  placing  his  eldest  daughter,  Arta,  at  a  young 
ladies'  seminary,  Mrs.  Cody  and  little  Ora  traveled  with 
him  during  the  season. 

During  this  tour  Bill  introduced  a  new  drama,  the  inci- 
dents of  which  were  founded  on  the  Mountain  Meadows 
Massacre,  entitled:  "May  Cody;  or,  Lost  and  Won." 
This  season  was  the  most  profitable  of  any  he  had  en- 
joyed up  to  that  time,  and  at  its  close  he  removed  from 
Rochester  to  North  Platte,  Nebraska,  where  he  is  now 
living. 

Since  1878  Bill  has  continued  in  the  role  of  profes- 
sional actor,  introducing  to  the  amusement-loving  public 
for  three  consecutive  seasons  his  new  and  best  play,  writ- 
ten by  Col.  Prentiss  Ingraham,  entitled:  "The  Knight 
of  the  Plains  ;  or,  Buffalo  Bill's  Best  Trail."  How  suc- 
cessful he  has  been  may  be  estimated  by  the  fact  that 
during  the  season  of  1880-81  his  neb  profits  from  the 
stage  aggregated  forty-eight  thousand  dollars. 

During  the  season  ef  1880-81  an  incident  occurred 
which  illustrates  Buffalo  Bill's  wonderful  accuracy  of 
aim  and  goes  far  to  prove  the  assertion  that  since  the 
death  of  Wild  Bill  he  is  the  champion  rifle  and  pistol 
shot  of  the  world,  and  no  one  is  likely  to  ever  wrest  the 
title  of  champion  from  him. 

The  incident  referred  to  may  be  recorded  as  follows  : 
During  September,  1880,  Bill  was  performing  at  Pope's 
theater  in  St.  Louis,  having  with  his  company  the  cel- 
ebrated marksman  Ira  Paine,  whose  exhibitions  of  rifle 


HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

and  pistol  shooting  have  been  witnessed  with  delight  by 
thousands  of  people  in  various  cities  of  the  United  States. 

One  morning,  as  a  number  of  Bill's  and  Paine's  friends, 
among  others  Capt.  D.  L.  Payne,  the  scout,  and  Dr. 
Voerster,  ex-Coroner  of  St.  Louis,  were  engaged  in 
friendly  conversation,  a  dispute  arose  respecting  the 
relative  abilities,  as  marksmen,  of  Bill  and  Ira  Paine. 
As  a  result  of  the  dispute  a  contest  was  arranged  to  take 
place  the  following  afternoon  at  the  Fair  Grounds,  a 
wager  being  laid  of  a  basket  of  champagne  and  a  supper 
of  oysters,  Capt.  Payne  backing  Bill  and  Ira  Paine  bet- 
ting on  himself.  The  shooting  was  to  consist  of  rifle 
and  pistol  practice,  steady  and  snap  shots,  at  a  mark  and 
flying  glass  balls. 

The  terms  and  place  having  been  agreed  upon,  the 
party,  reinforced  by  several  other  friends,  repaired  to  the 
Fair  Grounds,  where  the  contest  took  place.  Buffalo 
Bill  won  with  such  ease  in  all  the  variety  of  shots,  that 
comparison  in  the  contest  would  be  ridiculous.  Out  of 
one  hundred  glass  balls  thrown  from  a  distance  of 
forty  yards,  Bill  broke  ninety-eight  and  chipped  another, 
making  ninety-nine  out  of  a  possible  hundred.  A  dis- 
pute arose  over  the  one  ball  that  was  chipped,  some  con- 
tending that  it  was  missed,  while  Capt.  Payne  maintained 
that  it  was  struck,  and  to  prove  his  assertion  he  walked 
out  on  the  field,  and  picking  up  the  ball,  was  returning 
with  it  to  the  crowd,  when  Bill  shouted  to  him  : 

"  Hold  on,  Payne  ;  let  me  cut  the  ashes  off  your  cigar 
without  touching  the  fire." 

Payne  stopped,  and  turning  his  face  sideways,  per- 
mitted Bill  to  fire.  The  bullet  struck  the  ashes,  leaving 
the  fire  exposed. 

"Now,"  said  Bill,  "I'll  cut  off  the  tip  end  of  the 
cigar,  so  that  you  will  only  lose  the  fire." 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO  BILL. 


40? 


408  HEROES   OF   THE  PLAINS. 

Payne  held  himself  stiff  and  perfectly  steady  while  Bill 
performed  the  second  feat  successfully.  These  wonder- 
ful exhibitions  of  skill  elicited  great  applause,  as  though 
they  were  made  with  a  Winchester  rifle.  Payne  started 
toward  the  crowd,  but  when  within  twenty  yards, 
Bill  again  called  out  to  him  : 

"Stop  again,  Payne,  and  I'll  see  if  I  can't  cut  the 
cigar  out  of  your  mouth  with  this  pistol  without  touching 
your  lips." 

Payne,  fearing  nothing,  at  once  turned  sideways  again, 
but  the  crowd  thought  the  danger  of  such  a  shot  was  too 
great,  and  begged  Bill  not  to  try  it.  But  Payne  said 
with  some  warmth : 

"  Let  him  shoot ;  Buffalo  Bill  always  hits  what  he  aims 
at," 

Dr.  Voerster,  who  is  an  excellent  shot  himself,  still 
protested,  but  when  he  found  that  there  was  a  determi- 
nation to  attempt  the  feat,  he  walked  out  to  Payne,  and 
placing  his  hands  on  either  side  of  the  scout's  head,  stead- 
ied him  while  Bill  shot.  At  the  crack  of  the  pistol  Payne 
turned  about  and  exhibited  a  little  stump  of  his  cigar,  the 
part  he  held  between  his  teeth.  The  bullet  had 
struck  under  his  moustache  and  cut  off  the  cigar  withir 
less  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch  off  his  lips. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL,  409 

CHAPTEK  XXIV. 

CONCLUSION. 

BUFFALO  BILL  is  one  of  the  few  famous  scouts  who 
has  justly  won  the  renown  which  encircles  his  name.  His 
exploits  have  been  so  numerous,  involving  a  display  of 
such  extraordinary  daring  and  magnificent  nerve  that 
language  cannot  exaggerate  them.  Gen.  Sheridan  makes 
bold  to  assert  that  Buffalo  BiJ  has  killed  more  Indians 
than  any  white  man  that  ever  lived.  It  would  be  no 
credit  to  the  daring  scout  if  these  Indians  had  fallen  with- 
out justification,  but  since  they  were  the  victims  of  legit- 
imate war,  and  were  slain  in  the  performance  of  a  sworn 
duty,  he  may  properly  wear  the  laurels  and  deserve  the 
plaudits  of  civilization  whose  effective  instrument  he  has 
ever  been. 

Before  closing  this  narrative  of  his  wonderful  life,  I 
cannot  resist  the  temptation  to  include  a  few  words  re- 
specting his  social  relations,  which  are  so  amiable  that  no 
man  can  possibly  be  happier  than  he. 

In  May,  the  present  year  (1881),  I  received  an  invita- 
tion from  Buffalo  Bill  to  visit  him ,  which  I  accepted  with 
much  pleasure,  as  it  afforded  me  the  opportunity  I  so 
much  desired  for  acquainting  myself  with  his  personal  pe- 
culiarities and  social  surroundings.  Upon  returning  from 
that  visit  I  prepared  a  correspondence  for  the  '  'American 
Traveler's  Journal,"  recounting  mv  exceedingly  pleasant 
experiences  with  the  celebrated  scout  and  his  family,  ex- 
tracts from  which  I  will  here  reproduce  for  the  purpose 
of  giving  the  reader  an  idea  of  his  entertaining  character, 
and  the  interesting  nature  of  his  surroundings  : 

I  met  Mr.  Cody,  by  arrangement,  in  Omaha  on  the  5th, 


410  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

where  I  was  received  with  that  generous  cordiality  for 
which  he  is  distinguished,  and  remained  with  him  in  that 
city  during  two  days,  in  order  to  attend  an  entertain- 
ment at  Brown  ell  Seminary,  at  which  institution  his 
beautiful  daughter,  Arta,  is  a  student.  En  passant  I  will 
be  excused  for  remarking  that  Miss  Arta,  though  but 
fourteen  years  of  age,  is  one  of  the  most  charming  and 
interesting  young  ladies  it  has  been  my  fortune  to  meet. 
She  is  accomplished  both  in  music  and  rudimentary  litera- 
ture, being  a  thorough  student,  and  free  from  the  vanity 
which  so  frequently  turns  the  heads  of  much  less  handsome 
young  girls.  With  her  beauty  and  accomplishments, 
she  combines  that  noble  trait  of  loving  devotion  to  her 
mother  and  father,  inheriting  much  of  the  peculiarities  of 
the  latter  ;  especially  her  facility  in  shooting  and  riding, 
in  both  of  which  she  has  few  superiors. 

On  Saturday,  the  7th,  I  departed  in  Mr.  Cody's  compa, 
ny  for  his  home,  which  we  reached  at  2  A.  M.,  to  find  hk 
wife  and  younger  daughter,  Ora,  eight  years  of  age, 
awaiting  us  with  buggies,  in  which  we  rode  to  his  beauti- 
ful residence,  which  is  situated  one  mile  west  of  North 
Platte,  near  the  U.  P.  railroad  track.  This  house,  built 
after  a  design  furnished  by  his  estimable  wife,  combines  all 
the  elegancies  of  a  thorough  mansion.  It  has  three  large 
intersecting  parlors,  the  floors  are  covered  with  luxurious 
carpets,  and  the  walls  bedecked  with  handsome  paintings, 
the  more  conspicuous  being  pictures  of  his  family  and  fron- 
tier friends,  Wild  Bill,  Capt.  Jack  Crawford,  Texas  Jack, 
hunting  scenes,  Indian  battles,  etc.  In  addition  to  these, 
there  is  a  fine  piano  and  an  organ,  on  both  of  which  instru- 
ments Mrs.  Cody  and  her  elder  daughter  ^tre  excellent 
performers.  The  table  is  beautified  with  taaten  silver, 
and  the  cellar  filled  with  the  finest  wines  and  choicest 
liquors  ;  for  there  is  a  constant  stream  of  visitors,  and  to 


LIFE    OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  411 

entertain  guests  in  regal  style  is  a  forte  peculiar  to  Buffalo 
Bill  and  his  elegant  wife. 

On  the  morning  following  our  arrival  at  North  Platte, 
with  the  first  intimation  that  Buffalo  Bill  had  returned 
home,  the  town  put  on  its  wardrobe  of  congratulations  ; 
flags  went  up,  and  the  visitors  flocked  down  on  him  with 
welcomes  so  hearty  as  to  approach  an  ovation.  His  pop- 
ularity reverses  the  biblical  adage,  "  A  prophet  is  not 
without  honor  save  in  his  own  country." 

Omitting  details  of  his  reception  by  the  citizens,  de- 
lighted to  see  him  again  after  a  nine  months'  absence  as 
a  popular  theatrical  star  in  the  East,  by  his  invitation  a 
party  was  at  once  collected,  and  on  horseback  we  rode 
southward  for  a  hunt  near  C.  H.  Groner's  (the  sheriff's) 
ranche.  The  season  was  too  early  for  antelope,  so  we  had 
to  content  ourselves  with  smaller  game,  such  as  ducks, 
snipe  and  curlews,  which  were  none  too  plenty.  But  in 
addition  to  the  pleasure  of  killing  several  birds,  I  met 
with  the  characters  known  as  "  cow-boys,"  with  whose 
peculiar  manners  I  sought  to  familiarize  myself  by  re- 
maining over  night  at  the  ranche,  and  participating  in 
their  games  and  duties.  A  shot  at  a  passing  coyote  was 
the  only  thing  affording  any  excitement,  but  this  very 
soon  disappeared  with  the  little  animal,  and  the  follow- 
ing day  I  was  glad  to  return  in  a  buggy  sent  for  me. 

Beyond  the  little  rifle-practice  we  had  indulged  in  at 
Buffalo  Bill's  house  and  on  the  prairie,  which  I  consid- 
ered creditable  to  the  entire  party  participating,  I  had 
not  yet  seen  anything  of  special  importance,  but  it  was 
reserved  for  me  to  witness  remarkable  sights  on  Tuesday, 
which  would  have  compensated  for  a  trip  a  thousand 
times  greater.  Early  in  the  morning  of  that  day,  the 
preliminaries  having  been  arranged  the  evening  previous, 
a  party  consisting  of  Buffalo  Bill  and  wife,  ex-Congress^ 


412  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

man  Taft,  wife  and  daughter,  Major  Heinman  and  wife, 
with  the  writer  acting  as  cavalier  to  the  rear,  started  out 
for  a  picnic  excursion  eight  miles  north  of  the  town, 
taking  guns  of  various  calibre  with  us,  and  ammunition 
sufficient  to  provide  for  an  incessant  fusilade  on  glas£ 
balls,  birds  and  game.  The  commissary,  which  wa« 
under  the  immediate  supervision  of  Mrs.  Cody,  was  all 
that  the  most  fastidious  epicurean  could  have  desired, 
consisting  of  abundant  substantiate,  as  well  as  those  rare 
and  dainty  delicacies  which  good  housewives  know  so 
well  how  to  prepare.  To  these  we  were  all  devoutly 
attached,  even  to  the  uttermost  vestige  of  the  pro  vision- 
ary spread. 

When  the  feasting  was  over,  Buffalo  Bill  consented  to 
amuse  the  company  for  a  time  with  some  of  his  prairie 
pastimes.  At  first  I  was  quite  willing  to  lay  wagers  of 
ten  cents  a  shot  against  his  hitting  flying  glass  balls, 
hurled  by  myself,  with  his  Winchester,  but  as  the  ap- 
pearances very  soon  convinced  me  that  if  I  continued  the 
betting  without  hedging  I  would  have  to  be  sent  home 
C.  O.  D.,  I  adopted  a  wiser  course.  But  I  got  even  with 
him  by  accepting  his  bets  that  I  could  not  hit  consecutive 
stationary  glass  balls,  at  ten  paces,  with  his  gallery  rifle. 

But  the  most  exciting  part  of  the  entertainment  was 
reserved  for  the  last,  which  was  a  tableau  of  unparalleled 
riding  and  marksmanship.  Mounting  his  gray  pony, 
from  whose  back  a  shot  had  never  before  been  fired,  Bill 
rode  out  from  the  camp  with  his  Winchester,  I  accompa- 
nying him  on  a  fleet  horse.  Marking  objects  on  the 
route  by  pointing  to  them,  as  the  insubordination  of  his 
horse  precluded  the  possibility  of  first  locating  the  marks 
along  a  defined  route,  Bill  put  his  steed  upon  the  run  and 
began  firing  right  and  left,  shooting  at  a  distance  of  fifty 
and  seventy-five  yards.  At  every  shot  the  horse  would 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL,  413 

jump  sideways  so  violently  that  it  appeared  impossible 
for  the  agile  rider  to  keep  his  seat ;  yet  he  seemed  like  a 
veritable  centaur,  so  perfectly  was  his  equilibrium  main- 
tained while  his  hands  were  both  occupied  in  handling 
the  gun,  which  he  fired  with  a  rapidity  most  astonishing. 
Not  only  did  he  thus  exhibit  a  truly  wonderful  accom- 
plishment as  a  rider,  but  his  marksmanship  was  equally 
astonishing,  for  with  all  his  rapid  firing  from  a  running, 
fractious  horse  the  bullets  were  invariably  sent  with  a 
precision  which  would  have  won  honor  for  an  expert 
shooting  from  the  ground  at  a  target.  Surprise  cannot 
express  my  feelings  at  witnessing  the  remarkable  feats  he 
accomplished  with  rifle  on  horseback.  His  tours  through 
the  country  as  an  actor  have  familiarized  nearly  every 
one  in  the  United  States  with  his  accuracy  of  aim,  which 
has  elicited  such  spontaneous  plaudits  from  admiring 
audiences  ;  yet  Buffalo  Bill  on  the  stage  is  but  a  by-play 
to  Buffalo  Bill  on  the  plains.  It  is  only  on  the  broad 
prairies,  beyond  the  boundaries  of  confinement,  that  his 
skill  can  be  shown  to  advantage,  and  with  a  fleet,  wild 
horse  Buffalo  Bill  surpasses  the  most  preposterous  exag- 
gerations of  the  Leather  Stocking  stories. 

Socially,  this  genuine  hero  in  deed  and  reputation  is 
one  of  the  most  generous  and  noble-hearted  of  men.  To 
meet  him  is  to  be  his  friend.  He  is  the  very  soul  of  hu- 
mor and  anecdote,  regaling  a  camp  with  an  inexhaustible 
fund  of  rare  experiences  and  witticisms.  At  Omaha 
we  met  Lieut.  Frederick  Schwatka,  the  most  successful 
of  all  arctic  explorers,  who  recently  found  the  remain 3  of 
thirty  members  of  the  ill-fated  Franklin  expedition. 
Schwatka  and  Bill  have  been  in  three  different  expeditions 
together,  one  as  chief  of  scouts,  and  the  other  as  lieuten- 
ant in  the  regular  army,  and  both  under  Gen.  Crook. 

The  following  story  was  told  to  me  by  the  Lieutenant, 


414  HEKOES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

who  regards  Bill  with  a  friendship  which  he  delights  in. 
During  the  expedition  of  1874  in  the  Big  Horn  country, 
when  Gen.  Crook  was  operating  against  the  Si  >ux,  the 
command  had  pitched  camp  in  the  canons,  where  they 
were  momentarily  expecting  an  attack.  Buffalo  Bill,  as 
chief  of  scouts,  being  well  acquainted  with  the  country 
and  the  peculiarities  of  the  Indians,  was  given  practical 
command  of  the  Snake  Indians,  who  were  co-operating 
with  the  expedition.  One  night  Bill  selected  one  of  the 
friendly  Indians  to  act  as  corporal  of  the  guard,  giving 
him  minute  instructions  to  call  the  guard  every  two  hours 
and  send  a  relief.  In  order  to  give  the  Indian  a  better 
idea  of  the  time,  Bill  gave  him  his  watch,  saying  : 

"Now,  take  this  watch,  and  hold  it  in  your  hand; 
when  the  big  hand  goes  around  twice  and  the  little  one 
moves  two  figures,  that  will  show  you  two  hours  have 
passed,  and  you  must  then  put  out  a  new  guard." 

The  Indian,  having  never  before  seen  a  watch,  was  so 
pleased  with  it  that  he  assured  Bill  he  understood  his  in- 
structions,— being  anxious  to  look  at  the  attractive  play- 
thing, as  he  considered  it. 

Taking  a  position  by  the  camp-fire,  the  Indian  held  the 
watch  carefully  in  his  hand,  listened  to  its  ticking,  arid 
then  watched  the  hands.  After  spending  five  or  six 
hours  in  this  manner  he  lost  all  interest  in  the  watch,  and 
going  over  to  Bill's  tent,  he  awakened  him  and  said : 

"D — n  Melican  man;  him  fool  Indian  long  time" 
(pointing  to  the  watch)  ;  "big  hand  all  right,  but  little 
hand,  him  d — n  tired,"  and  threw  the  watch  to  Bill. 

The  Indian  had  got  the  information  badly  mixed, 
thinking  that  both  hands  of  the  watch  should  make  the 
circuit  of  the  dial  in  the  same  time,  and  becoming  dis- 
gusted with  the  "tired"  movement  of  the  smaller  hand, 
he  thought  Bill  had  been  playing  a  trick  on  him  ;  he  there- 
fore refused  to  act  as  corporal  any  longer. 


LIFE   OF   BUFFALO   BILL.  415 

During  the  same  expedition  the  Lieutenant  and  Bill  left 
camp  one  afternoon  to  bathe  in  the  Sweet  water.  While 
they  were  in  the  stream  the  Lieutenant  discovered  a  sage- 
hen  in  the  brush  on  the  bank,  and  as  fresh  meat  had  be- 
come an  exceedingly  scarce  article  in  that  section,  the 
two  were  very  anxious  to  kill  the  bird.  They  had  but 
one  pistol  between  them,  and  both  wanted  to  do  the 
shooting,  trusting  in  their  respective  abilities  to  kill  the 
hen.  The  Lieutenant,  however,  secured  the  first  shot, 
but  missed.  Bill  then  grabbed  the  pistol,  saying,  "  You 
can't  shoot  for  cold  beans  ;  I'll  show  you  how  to  profit  by 
this  opportunity."  Taking  fair  aim,  Bill  fired,  but  he 
also  missed.  He  considered  the  miss  an  accident,  howev- 
er, and  refusing  to  give  the  Lieutenant  another  chance, 
he  kept  firing  until  the  six  chambers  of  the  pistol  were 
emptied  without  touching  the  bird.  Incensed  at  his  bad 
shooting,  he  then  hurled  the  pistol  at  the  bird  and — lucky 
circumstance — killed  it !  This  joke  has  been  following 
Buffalo  Bill  ever  since  the  return  of  the  expedition,  and 
it  will  probably  dog  his  trails  so  long  as  he  continues  to  be 
a  crack  shot. 

While  I  was  in  North  Platte  I  heard  another  excellent 
joke  on  Bill,  which  furnishes  too  strong  a  temptation 
for  me  to  resist  relating :  It  is  well  known  that  he  is  the 
most  liberal  giver  in  Nebraska.  Although  far  from  bo- 
ing  a  church-goer,  he  nevertheless,  contributes  to  th© 
church  with  a  wonderful  liberality.  When  the  first  fine 
church  building  was  completed  in  North  Platte,  proposi- 
tions were  made  for  opening  it  with  grand  dedicatory 
ceremonies.  Mrs.  Cody  was  anxious  to  have  her  hus^ 
band  attend,  and  continued  to  persuade  him  until  he 
consented-*— not,  however,  until  he  had  warned  her  that  he 
was  almost  certain  to  make  a  "bad  break  in  meeting." 

In  opening  the  song  service  the  choir  occupied  a  choral 

26 


416  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

gallery  in  the  front  part  of  the  church,  and  the  leader 
chanced  to  be  a  lady  who,  while  she  was  an  excellent 
organist,  had  a  screechy  voice  tuned  in  so  high  a  key  that 
no  one  could  follow  her.  Nevertheless  it  devolved  on 
her  to  start  the  tune,  both  by  voice  and  instrument. 
She  began : 

"  My  soul's  in  arms — ten  thousand  foes  arise ;  " 
but  she  saw  the  key  was  pitched  up  about  seven  octavea 
above  the  door-step  of  heaven,  so  she  halted  a  moment, 
and  again  started : 

"  My  soul's  in  arms — ten  thousand  foes  arise." 
But  she  got  it  down  not  more  than  a  single  note,  which 
left  the  other  portion  of  the  choir  and  audience  on  theii 
tip-toes,  and  even  then  they  wanted  several  feet  of  reach- 
ing the  summit  of  the  air.  Bill  turned  half-way  round 
in  his  seat,  and  looking  up  toward  the  aerial  singer, 
cried,  "  Start  it  at  five  thousand,  and  maybe  we  can  get 
in."  The  audience  were  unable  to  control  their  risibili- 
ties, while  Bill  accepted  his  wife's  invitation  to  retire. 

Such  jokes  as  these  are  numerous  as  blades  of  prairie 
grass  about  North  Platte,  Buffalo  Bill  always  figuring  as 
the  chief  character.  I  never  enjoyed  a  visit  so  much  as 
the  brief  one  I  paid  Buffalo  Bill,  and  not  more  to  him  than 
to  his  most  estimable  and  handsome  wife  am  I  indebted 
for  courtesies  which  I  shall  ever  regard  as  souvenirs  of  a 
jolly  time  in  North  Platte. 

The  success  of  Buffalo  Bill's  theatrical  enterprises  has 
been  surprisingly  great;  I  say  surprisingly  because  he 
has  scarcely  an  equal  in  the  mimic  arena,  being  now  reck- 
oned the  third  richest  actor  in  America,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  his  personal  expenses  are  perhaps  greater 
than  those  of  any  other  character  on  the  stage,  and  UIB 
career  dates  only  since  1873,  He  combines  many  rare 
qualities  of  conception,  organization  and  management, 


LIFE  OP  BUFFALO  BILL.  417 

which  force  success  where  all  others  would  fail.  His 
ingenuity  and  business  judgment  has  long  been  pro- 
nounced ;  but  his  flattering  reputation  in  this  respect 
has  been  far  transcended  by  an  enterprise  which  he 
originated  in  the  summer  of  1883  ;  one  that  is  at  once  so 
grand  and  ambitious  that  in  speaking  of  it  P.  T.  Barnum 
was  lead  to  declare  Buffalo  Bill  the  greatest  organizer  of 
successful  combinations  to  please  public  taste  in  the 
world. 

The  enterprise  of  which  I  speak  is  a  vivid  illustration 
of  what  he  calls  "  Wild  Life  in  the  Far  West."  In  it  he 
has  associated  with  himself  Dr.  W.  F.  Carver,  the  ac- 
knowledged champion  rifle,  pistol  and  shot-gun  expert  of 
the  world.  Cody  and  Carver  are  the  proprietors  of  the 
combination ;  they  have  traveling  with  them  during  the 
summer  season  sixty  Indians,  as  many  horses,  also  herds 
of  elk,  buffalo,  and  the  most  skillful  lariat  throwers  to 
be  found  either  in  the  West  or  Mexico.  Their  entertain- 
ments are  in  the  open  air,  being  usually  given  in  fair 
grounds,  and  consist  in  shooting,  reckless  riding,  lasso- 
ing elk  and  buffalo,  illustrating  Indian  attacks  on  stage 
coaches,  in  canons,  and  on  settlements.  In  short,  giv- 
ing a  realistic  panorama  of  the  wild  life  through  which 
Buffalo  Bill  has  passed.  This  brilliant  conception  is  thus 
far  his  crowning  achievement,  and  to  speak  of  it  as  a 
success  does  not  express  the  real  triumph  it  has  obtained 
wherever  the  show  has  been  given.  It  is  a  fitting  con- 
clusion to  the  exciting  life-labors  of  the  only  Buffalo  Bill 
that  the  West  is  capable  of  bringing  into  world-wide 
noxice  for  genuine  achievements. 


418 


LIFE  OF  CALIFORNIA  JOE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask  and  the  author  of  the  Jo* 
nius  letters  are  the  great  unsolved  personalities  of  history  ; 
but  while  a  comparison  between  these  and  California  Joe 
would  appear,  in  some  degree,  ridiculous  to  the  aesthetic 
student  of  human  nature,  yet  in  so  far  as  identity  alone 
is  concerned  they  were  not  altogether  unlike  ;  though  the 
character  of  the  Wandering  Jew  would  afford  an  alto- 
gether more  appropriate  resemblance  when  considering 
alone  the  odd  traits  and  singular  adventures  of  this  great 
plainsman. 

Who  was  California  Joe?  This  question  many  may 
consider  themselves  able  to  answer,  but  no  one,  perhaps, 
can  distinguish  between  the  California  Joes  who  have 
figured  in  so  many  escapades  attributed  to  this  enigmatic 
character,  for  there  has  been  more  than  one  person  to 
adopt  the  title.  Where  was  he  born?  No  one  will  at- 
tempt to  answer.  The  California  Joe  who  hunted,  trail- 
ed, fought  and  slept  beside  Gen.  Custer  and  Buffalo  Bill 
is  believed  to  have  been  a  native  of  Kentucky.  Buffalo 
Bill  maintains  that  his  real  name  was  Joseph  Milmer, 
while  Capt.  Payne  declares  that  his  name  was  Joseph 
Hawkins,  and,  as  a  further  proof  of  the  claim,  asserts 
that  Joe  was  a  distant  relative  of  Daniel  Boone,  and  also 
his  (Payne's)  third  cousin.  We  are  only  able  to  say, 


419 


420  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 

therefore,  that  California  Joe  was  singularly  reticent  con- 
cerning his  early  life,  and  died  at  last  with  his  full  iden- 
tity unsolved.  For  what  facts  I  here  present  concerning 
his  life  I  am  indebted  to  Buffalo  Bill  and  Capt.  Payne, 
and  it  is  this  reason  which  has  prompted  me  to  respect 
the  opinions  of  each  by  giving  their  assertions,  not,  how- 
ever, with  any  desire  to  involve  them  in  any  further  dis- 
cussion concerning  Joe's  real  name. 

The  first  thrilling  adventure  in  which  California  Joe 
participated,  of  which  I  have  any  information,  may  be 
described  as  follows : 

In  the  summer  of  1849  a  party  of  sixty-five  hardy  ad' 
venturers  from  Kentucky,  with  California  Joe  as  their 
leader,  attempted  an  overland  journey  to  California,  be- 
ing impelled  by  the  golden  stories  of  newly  discovered 
wealth  along  the  San  Juan .  They  proceeded  without  in- 
terruption for  several  weeks,  when  they  reached  a  canon 
near  Pueblo.  Here  a  camp  was  made  just  before  night- 
fall, and  as  the  party  had  never  been  initiated  into  the 
perils  of  Indian  treachery,  they  did  not  consider  the  im- 
portance of  anticipating  and  guarding  against  an  attack 
from  these  prairie  nomads. 

During  the  still  hours  of  night,  when  the  entire  party 
was  sound  in  slumber,  perchance  dreaming  of  vast  treas- 
ures and  the  exaggerated  blessings  which  wealth  provides, 
a  band  of  two  hundred  vindictive  Cheyennes  descended, 
likes  wolves  upon  the  fold,  from  the  hillsides,  and  poured 
into  the  camp  before  there  was  even  a  suspicion  of  their 
proximity.  Lance  and  arrow,  tomahawk  and  war  club, 
soon  destroyed  the  bright  dreams,  the  golden  anticipa- 
tions, and  out  of  the  party  of  sixty-five  only  two  escaped, 
one  of  whom  was  California  Joe,  but  even  he  was  badly 
wounded.  (Two  persons  who  were  well  acquainted  with 
Joe  during  his  life  assert  that  his  wife  and  two  little  boys 
were  killed  at  the  same  time.) 


LIFE   OF   CALIFORNIA  JOE.  421 

In  the  darkness  of  the  night  Joe  succeeded  in  eluding 
the  savages  while  thej  were  mutilating  and  dancing  over 
the  bodies  of  his  dead  comrades,  and  crawling  to  the  Ar- 
kansas River,  one  mile  distant,  embarked  on  a  log,  upon 
which  he  floated  down  to  Ft.  Lyon,  where  he  was  taken 
out  of  the  water  and  cared  for. 

Although  this,  his  first  experience  on  the  plains,  had 
been  tempered  with  sore  adventure,  it  was  scarcely  two 
months  after  this  event  when  he  again  attempted  the 
overland  trip  to  California.  He  had  with  him  this  time 
but  two  companions,  and  having  been  chastened  for  his 
lack  of  precaution,  he  now  fully  appreciated  the  fruits  of 
that  lesson.  A  guard  was  therefore  constantly  main- 
tained, but  even  this  did  not  avail  against  what  appeared 
a  decree  of  bitter  fate. 

The  three  were  attacked  by  twenty-five  Utahs,  as  they 
were  passing  through  the  gateway  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  after  a  bitter  struggle  Joe's  comrades  were 
killed  and  himself  taken  prisoner.  The  Indians  bound 
him  securely  on  a  pony,  after  which  they  started  off 
northward  with  their  prisoner.  The  terrible  forebodings 
which  his  helpless  condition  prompted  as  he  rode  silently 
beside  his  cruel  captors,  as  Joe  afterward  expressed  it, 
was  "tearin'  to  a  sinner's  soul." 

Just  before  dark  the  Indians  halted  in  a  valley  beside 
Green  River  and  then  deliberately  began  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  punishing  their  victim.  Joe  was  first  taken 
from  the  pony  he  had  been  riding  and  laid  upon  the 
grass,  where  he  was  watched  by  a  single  warrior,  while 
the  others  busied  themselves  gathering  dry  wood,  which 
they  piled  in  a  circle  about  a  tree. 

The  fiendish  intentions  of  his  enemies  were  now  re- 
vealed to  Joe,  for  these  preparations  he  knew  meant 
death  at  the  stake.  Seeing  that  his  life  was  to  end  in 


422  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

torture,  he  made  a  desperate  effort  to  free  himself,  hop- 
ing that  his  actions  would  cause  some  of  the  Indians  to 
kill  him  at  once,  but  knowing  their  captive  to  be  well 
bound  the  savages  gave  no  heed  to  his  writhings. 

When  the  circle  of  wood  was  completed  and  ready  for 
lighting,  the  savages  carried  their  victim  to  the  tree,  and 
despite  his  struggles,  bound  him  fast,  his  back  being 
drawn  tight! j  against  the  trunk  of  the  tree.  The  sacri- 
fice now  being  prepared,  one  of  the  Indians,  who  was  evi- 
dently a  chief,  drew  a  large  knife,  with  which  he  cut  off 
the  outer  rim  of  each  of  Joe's  ears,  placing  the  bleeding 
flesh  inside  his  beautifully  beaded  belt. 

When  this  part  of  the  ceremony  was  concluded,  the 
Indians  executed  a  war  dance  around  their  victim ,  in  or- 
der, no  doubt,  to  torture  him  with  the  dread  anticipation 
of  his  approaching  fate. 

Darkness  now  had  fairly  settled  down,  as  if  to  hide 
the  dark  and  dreadful  deed,  and  accepting  this  pall  of 
nature  as  the  most  opportune  time  for  their  hellish  design, 
the  circle  of  wood  was  lighted  in  a  dozen  places,  after 
which  the  Indians  sat  down  around  the  fire,  filled  their 
pipes  and  entered  upon  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  bar- 
becue. 

As  the  fire  had  been  intentionally  placed  a  little  distance 
from  Joe's  feet,  in  order  that  he  might  first  feel  its  dis- 
comforting heat,  thereby  prolonging  the  torture,  he  had 
time  to  yell  vigorously,  this  being  his  only  hope  of  rescue 
from  sudden  death,  considering  all  the  while  a  possibility  of 
so  provoking  the  Indians  that  they  would  kill  him  out- 
right. 

His  lusty  shouts,  together  with  the  illumination  on  the 
clouds  from  the  fire  about  him,  by  extraordinary  good 
fortune,  attracted  the  attention  of  a  party  of  trappers, 
who  chanced  to  be  camped  on  Green  River,  within  less 


LIFE  OF  CALIFORNIA  JOE.  425 

than  half  a  mile  from  the  place  where  Joe  was  being 
sacrificed.  Knowing  that  something  was  wrong,  the  trap- 
pers, fifty  in  number,  rushed  down  toward  the  spot  indi- 
cated by  the  cries,  and  approaching  carefully  they  dis- 
covered the  situation.  With  a  deadly  volley  from  their 
rifles,  twelve  Indians  dropped  over  dead  with  smoking 
pipes  in  their  hands.  Another  volley  followed  swiftly 
after  the  firsthand  when  the  trappers  rushed  to  the  res- 
cue of  Joe  they  found  eighteen  savages  ready  for  the 
scalping.  Poor  fellow  !  the  fire  had  wrinkled  his  buck- 
skin clothes,  and  so  burnt  the  skin  on  his  lower  limbs 
that  large  pieces  fell  off ;  though  the  pain  he  suffered 
was  most  excruciating,  yet  the  injuries  were  not  of  a 
serious  character.  He  was  taken  to  the  trappers'  camp 
and  treated  with  all  the  consideration  and  kindness  friends 
are  capable  of  giving.  Upon  his  recovery,  some  weeks 
after  his  wonderful  escape  from  the  most  horrible  of 
deaths,  Joe  became  associated  with  the  party  in  their  oc- 
cupation, and  followed  trapping  for  more  than  a  year  in 
the  company  of  his  rescuers. 


CHAPTER  H 

CALIFORNIA  JOE'S  courtship  and  marriage,  as  told  by 
himself,  and  repeated  in  sweet,  pathetic  story  by  one  of 
nature's  noblemen,  Capt.  Jack  Crawford,  is  unquestion- 
ably one  of  the  most  sympathetic  and  lovingly  sorrowful 
recitals  that  was  ever  created  by  imagination  or  found  in 
any  of  the  peculiar  phases  of  human  life.  Its  reproduc- 
tion here  will  thrill  the  hearts  of  every  lover  of  the  most 
noble  instincts  of  nature,  and  perhaps  bring  tears  to  the 


426  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

eyes  of  many,  moved  by  that  fellow-feeling  which  estab* 
lishas  a  universal  kinship  among  mankind : 

Well,  mates,  I  don't  like  stories, 

Nor  am  I  going  to  act 
A  part  around  this  camp  fire 

That  ain't  a  truthful  fact. 
So  fill  your  pipes  and  listen, 

I'll  tell  you — let  me  see, 
I  think  it  was  in  fifty, 

From  that  till  sixty-three. 

You've  all  heard  tell  of  Bridger? 
I  used  to  run  with  Jim, 

And  many  a  hard  day's  scouting 
I've  done  'longside  of  him. 

Well,  once,  near  old  Fort  Reno, 
A  trapper  used  to  dwell ; 

We  called  him  old  Pap  Reynolds—- 
The scouts  all  knew  him  well. 

One  night — the  spring  of  fifty — 

We  camped  on  Powder  River ; 
We  killed  a  calf  of  buffalo, 

And  cooked  a  slice  of  liver ; 
While  eating,  quite  contented, 

We  heard  three  shots  or  four ; 
Put  out  the  fire  and  listened, 

Then  heard  a  dozen  more. 

We  knew  that  old  man  Reynolds 
Had  moved  his  traps  up  here ; 

So,  picking  up  our  rifles, 
And  fixing  on  our  gear, 


LITE   OF   CALIFORNIA  JOE.  427 

We  mounted  quick  as  lightnin' — 

To  save  was  our  desire. 
Too  late  ;  the  painted  heathens 

Had  set  the  house  on  fire. 

We  tied  our  horses  quickly, 

And  waded  up  the  stream  ; 
While  close  beside  the  water 

I  heard  a  muffled  scream, 
And  there  among  the  bushes, 

A  little  girl  did  lie  ; 
I  picked  her  up  and  whispered, 

"  PU  save  you,  or  Pll  die!  " 

Lord,  what  a  nde  !  old  Bridger, 

He  covered  my  retreat, 
Sometimes  the  child  would  whisper, 

In  voice  so  low  and  sweet, 
"  Poor  papa  !  God  will  take  him 

To  mamma  up  above  ; 
There's  no  one  left  to  love  me — 

There's  no  one  left  to  love.*' 

The  little  one  was  thirteen, 

And  I  was  twenty-two. 
Said  I ;  "  I'll  be  your  father, 

And  love  you  just  as  true." 
She  nestled  to  my  bosom, 

Her  hazel  eyes  so  bright, 
Looked  up  and  made  me  happy, 

Though  close  pursued  that  night. 

A  month  had  passed,  and  Maggie 
(We  called  her  Hazel-Eye), 


HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

In  truth,  was  going  to  leave  me— - 
"Was  going  to  say  "  good-bye." 

Her  uncle,  mad  Jack  Reynolds— 
Reported  long  since  dead — 

Had  come  to  claim  my  angel, 
His  brother's  child,  he  said. 

What  could  I  say?    We  parted. 

Mad  Jack  was  growing  old ; 
I  handed  him  a  bank-note, 

And  all  I  had  in  gold. 
They  rode  away  at  sunrise, 

I  went  a  mile  or  two, 
And,  parting,  said :  "  We'll  meet  again*** 

May  God  watch  over  you." 


Beside  a  laughing,  dancing  brook, 

A  little  cabin  stood, 
As,  weary  with  a  long  day's  scout, 

I  spied  it  in  the  wood. 
A  pretty  valley  stretched  beyond, 

The  mountains  towered  above, 
While  near  the  willow  bank  I  heard 

The  cooing  of  a  dove. 

'Twos  one  grand  panorama ; 
The  brook  was  plainly  seen, 

Like  a  long  thread  of  silver 
In  a  cloth  of  lovely  green. 

The  laughter  of  the  waters, 
The  cooing  of  the  dove, 

Was  like  some  painted  picture—- 
Some well-told  tale  of  love. 


LIFE   OF   CALIFOENIA  JOB. 

While  drinking  in  the  grandeur, 

And  resting  in  my  saddle, 
I  heard  a  gentle  ripple, 

Like  the  dipping  of  a  paddle. 
I  turned  toward  the  eddy — • 

A  strange  sight  met  my  view : 
A  maiden,  with  her  rifle, 

In  a  little  bark  canoe. 

She  stood  up  in  the  centre, 

The  rifle  to  her  eye ; 
I  thought  (just  for  a  second) 

My  time  had  come  to  die. 
I  doffed  my  hat  and  told  her 

(If  it  was  all  the  same) 
To  drop  her  little  shooter, 

For  I  was  not  her  game. 

She  dropped  the  deadly  weapon* 

And  leaped  from  the  canoe. 
Said  she  :  "  I  beg  your  pardon, 

I  thought  you  were  a  Sioux ; 
Your  long  hair  and  your  buckskin 

Looked  warrior-like  and  rough ; 
My  bead  was  spoiled  by  sunshine, 

Or  I'd  killed  you,  sure  enough." 

**  Perhaps  it  had  been  better 

You  dropped  me  then,"  said  I; 
"For  surely  such  an  angel 

Would  bear  me  to  the  sky." 
She  blushed  and  dropped  her  eyelids  j 

Her  cheeks  were  crimson  red ; 
One  half -shy  glance  she  gave  me, 

And  then  hung  down  her  head. 


•80  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

I  took  her  little  hand  in  mine—- 
She wondered  what  I  meant, 

And  yet  she  drew  it  not  away, 
But  rather  seemed  content. 

We  sat  upon  the  mossy  bank — 
Her  eyes  began  to  fill — • 

The  brook  was  rippling  at  our  feet* 
The  dove  was  cooing  still. 

I  smoothed  the  golden  tresses, 
Her  eyes  looked  up  in  mine. 

She  seemed  in  doubt — then  whispered: 
"  "Tis  such  a  long,  long  time 

Strong  arms  were  thrown  around 
Til  save  you,  or  I'll  die." 

I  clasped  her  to  my  bosom—- 
My long-lost  Hazel-Eye. 

The  rapture  of  that  moment 

Was  almost  heaven  to  me ; 
I  kissed  her  'mid  her  tear-dropa, 

Her  innocence  and  glee  ; 
Her  heart  near  mine  was  beating, 

While  sobbingly  she  said : 
"My  dear,  my  brave  preserver, 

They  told  me  you  were  dead. 

"But,  oh  I  those  parting  words,  Joe, 

Have  never  left  my  mind, 
You  said :  'We'll  meet  again,  Mag,' 

Then  rode  off  like  the  wind  ; 
And,  oh  I  how  I  have  prayed,  Jos, 

For  you,  who  saved  my  life. 
That  God  would  send  an  an^rct 

To  guard  ;  ou  through  all  strife. 


LIFE   OF   CALIFORNIA   JOB. 

"And  he  who  claimed  me  from  you, 

My  uncle,  good  and  true— 
Now  sick  in  yonder  cabin — 

Has  talked  so  much  of  you. 
'  If  Joe  were  living,  darling/ 

He  said  to  me  last  night, 
*  He  would  care  for  Maggie, 

When  God  puts  out  my  light.'  * 

We  found  the  old  man  sleeping. 

"Hush !  Maggie,  let  him  rest." 
The  sun  was  slowly  sinking 

In  the  far-off  glowing  west ; 
And  tho'  we  talked  in  whispers, 

He  opened  wide  his  eyes, 
"  A  dream — a  dream  I "  he  murmured, 

"  Alas  I  a  dream  of  lies  I " 

She  drifted  like  a  shadow 

To  where  the  old  man  lay, 
"You  had  a  dream,  dear  uncle, 

Another  dream  to-day?" 
"  Oh,  yes  ;  I  saw  an  angel, 

As  pure  as  mountain  snow, 
And  near  her,  at  my  bedside, 
Stood  California  Joe." 

"I'm  sure  Tm  not  an  angel, 

Dear  uncle,  that  you  know ; 
These  arms  are  brown,  my  hands,  too— 

My  face  is  cot  like  snow,- 
now,  listen  wnlle  1  tell 

For  I  have  news  to 
And  Hazel-Eye  is 

For  Joe  is  truly  here. 


433  HEKOES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

And  when  a  few  days  after, 

The  old  man  said  to  me, 
•'Joe.  boy,  she  ar'  a  angel, 

An*  good  as  angels  be  ; 
For  three  long  months  she's  hunted 

An'  trapped  an'  nurs'd  me,  too  ; 
God  bless  ye,  boy !  I  believe  it — 

She's  safe  along  wi'  you." 


The  sun  was  slowly  sinking, 

When  Mag  (my  wife)  and  I 
Came  riding  through  the  valley, 

The  tear-drops  in  her  eye, 
"One  year  ago,  to-day,  Joe — 

I  see  the  mossy  grave — 
We  laid  him  'neath  the  daisies, 

My  uncle,  good  and  brave." 

And,  comrades,  every  spring-time 

Was  sure  to  find  me  thyere — 
A  something  in  that  valley 

Was  always  fresh  and  fair ; 
Our  loves  were  newly  kindled 

-While  sitting  by  the  stream, 
Where  two  hearts  were  united 

In  love's  sweet,  happy  dream. 

There  is  another  part  to  this  beautiful  sti>ry,  founded 
as  it  is  on  fact,  which,  owing  to  its  singular  harmony  with 
the  sentiment  expressed  in  this  poem  of  Capt.  Jack's,  fur- 
ther illustrates  the  large-hearted  devotion  of  California 
Joe,  and  ought  therefore  to  be  added.  It  is  as  follows : 

An  old  trapper  named  Reynolds,  one  of  the  rery  first 
white  men  that  ever  set  foot  in  the  Black  Hills  country, 


LIFE  OF  CALIFORNIA  JOE.  433 

had  settled  on  the  Yellowstone  with  his  large  family  of 
children,  among  the  number  being  a  very  beautiful  little 
girl  eleven  years  of  age,  whose  name  was  Maggie.  She 
was  not  only  of  a  winsome  figure,  lovely  in  feature  and 
disposition,  but  also  very  precocious  for  one  of  her  age. 
Young  as  she  was,  nothing  so  charmed  her  youthful  ambi- 
tion as  the  chase.  With  a  rifle,  the  very  weight  of  which 
was  a  burden  scarcely  to  be  borne  by  such  tender  shoul- 
ders, she  day  after  day  scouted  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old 
cabin,  killing  deer  and  even  attacking  more  dangerous 
game,  such  as  bears  and  wolves. 

One  day  little  Maggie  went  hunting,  as  usual,  never 
straying  far  from  home,  but  when  night  drew  on  apace 
she  had  not  returned.  The  mother  became  somewhat 
anxious  at  her  daughter's  prolonged  absence  ;  but  when 
darkness  fell,  and  the  hours  of  night  sped  by  one  after 
another,  anxiety  grew  into  alarm  and  a  search  was  insti- 
tuted. Father,  mother,  brothers,  all  joined  in  the  hunt, 
each  calling  aloud,  from  time  to  time,  the  name  of  the 
lost  one,  but  no  response  came.  This  search  was  contin- 
ued for  several  days  and  until  the  distracted  parents 
finally  concluded  that  the  child  had  either  been  carried  off 
and  devoured  by  some  wild  animal,  or  had  been  kidnapped 
by  the  Indians,  the  latter  supposition  occurring  to  them 
as  more  reasonable. 

Some  months  after  this  sad  occurrence,  California  Joe 
while  trapping  on  the  Yellowstone,  visited  old  man  Rey- 
nolds, and  during  this  visit  was  made  acquainted  with  the 
circumstances  of  little  Maggie's  strange  disappearance. 
He  at  once  exclaimed : 

"I'll  bet  a  silver  fox's  skin  that  that  ar  gal  is  now 
with  them  thar  tarnal  Cheyennes  ;  '  fact  I  already  hearn 
thar  was  a  white  face  'mong  them  wretches." 

Hearing  this  assertion,  Mrs.  Eeynolds  began  to  lament > 

26 


434  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

but  between  her  sobs  of  grief  she  pleadingly  inquired  it 
there  were  any  means  by  which  her  daughter  could  be 
rescued. 

"  Yer  bet  thar  is,"  replied  Joe,  "and  more  than  that, 
Mrs.  Reynolds,  I'll  just  undertake  to  find  her  myself." 

Joe  remained  over  night  with  the  Reynolds  family,  but 
on  the  following  morning  at  an  early  hour,  he  gathered 
up  his  rifle  and 'bidding  them  good  bye,  set  off  in  search  of 
the  little  girl. 

He  proceeded  to  a  spot  where  he  knew  a  party  of 
Cheyennes  were  encamped,  with  whom  he  had  done  some 
trading  only  a  few  days  before.  Finding  the  Indians,  he 
selected  four  of  the  tribe  he  was  best  acquainted  with, 
and  after  treating  them  to  a  large  bottle  of  frontier 
whisky,  he  made  a  contract  (stipulating  more  fire-water) 
with  the  savage  quartette  for  the  restoration  of  the  child. 
These  four  Indians  set  out  directly  to  find  a  large  village 
of  their  tribe  located  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Mis- 
souri. They  not  only  succeeded  in  finding  their  red 
brothers,  but  getting  into  camp  it  was  not  long  ere  they 
also  discovered  the  little  pale  face  in  the  custody  of  an 
old  squaw  who  was  using  Maggie  as  a  servant. 

By  skillful  insinuation  they  at  length  managed  to  com* 
mumcatewith  the  little  girl, 'and  acquainted  her  with  their 
purpose,  arranging  at  the  same  time  to  meet  her  on  the 
Missouri  river  bank  at  midnight  with  a  canoe,  to  carry 
her  out  of  the  village.  The  arrangement  succeeded  most 
admirably,  as  the  girl,  young  as  she  was,  employed  so 
much  care  and  cunning  that  she  stole  away  from  the  side 
of  her  sleeping  guard  and  got  out  of  the  tepee  without 
discovery.  She  then  hastened  to  the  trysting  place, 
where  she  was  received  by  the  four  waiting  Indians,  who 
conveyed  her  down  the  river  in  their  canoe  to  a  spot 
designated  by  California  Joe. 


LIFE    OF    CALIFORNIA   JOEL  435 

The  girl  was  missed  very  soon  after  her  escape  from 
the  village,  and  ten  of  the  Cheyennes  started  out  at  once 
to  effect  her  recapture,  but  though  they  made  directly 
toward  old  man  Reynolds'  cabin,  Joe  had  preceded  them 


The  Indians  Receiving  the  White  Girl  into  their  Canoe. 

feo  /ar  that  Maggie  was  restored  to  her  overjoyed  parent* 
before  the  Indians  arrived.  When  they  came  up  to  tha 
cabin,  intending  to  forcibly  retake  the  girl,  they  wer$ 
met  by  a  volley  of  bullets^froni  deadly  rifles  in  the  hands 


436  HHBOES   OP  THE  PLAINS. 

of  Joe  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reynolds,  the  latter  being  a 
true  frontiersman's  wife,  knowing  how  to  shoot  as  wefl 
as  most  crack  shots.  A  lively  fight  ensued,  but  protected 
by  the  cabin,  the  party  inside  sustained  no  injury,  while 
they  succeeded  in  killing  five  of  the  Indians.  The  coun- 
try, however,  had  now  become  too  dangerous  for  a  longer 
residence  on  the  Yellowstone,  and  the  Reynolds  family 
speedily  abandoned  their  home  and  fled  southward  with 
Joe  to  the  North  Platte. 

It  has  been  asserted  that  California  Joe  married  the 
little  girl  he  had  thus  rescued,  six  years  afterward,  but  it 
is  possible  that  the  name  of  the  girl,  Maggie,  being  the 
same  as  that  of  his  wife,  gave  rise  to  this  belief.  The 
circumstances,  as  here  related,  concerning  the  rescue  of 
Reynolds'  daughter,  are  undoubtedly  true,  but  that  he 
married  this  same  girl  afterward  is  scarcely  worthy  of 
belief.  Joe  himself  related  the  story  of  his  marriage  to 
Capt.  Jack,  who  undoubtedly  truthfully  repeated  it  in 
the  beautiful  verses  already  quoted. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

IN  1857  California  Joe  removed  to  Oregon,  where  he 
continued  trapping  and  prospecting  until  the  civil  war 
broke  out,  when  he  returned  to  the  States,  and  shortly 
afterward  joined  Berdan's  sharpshooters,  among  whom 
he  was  regarded  as  far  the  most  skillful  marksman  in 
that  arm  of  the  service. 

The  following  incident  is  told  of  him  by  a  war  corres- 
pondent of  Harper's  Weekly  in  reporting  the  first  siege 
of  Richmond  in  1862 : 


LIFE   OF   CALIFORNIA  JOE.  437 

"A  rebel  sharpshooter  had  been  amusing  himself  and 
annoying  the  General  and  other  officers  by  firing  several 
times  in  that  direction,  and  sending  the  bullets  in  un- 
pleasant proximity  to  their  heads. 

"  *  My  man,  can't  you  get  your  piece  on  that  fellow 
who  is  firing  on  us,  and  stop  his  impertinence?'  asked 
the  General. 

"  *I  think  so,'  replied  Joe;  and  he  brought  his  tel- 
escopic rifle  to  a  horizontal  position. 

"  'Do  you  see  him?'  inquired  the  General. 

"  'I  do.' 

'  <  '  How  far  is  he  away  ? ' 

"  'Fifteen  hundred  yards.' 

"  « Can  you  fetch  him?' 

"  'I '11  try.' 

"And  Joe  did  try.  He  brought  his  piece  to  a  steady 
aim,  pulled  the  trigger,  and  sent  the  bullet  whizzing  on 
its  experimental  tour,  the  officers  meanwhile  looking 
through  their  field  glasses.  Joe  evidently  hit  the  fellow 
in  the  leg  or  foot,  for  he  went  hobbling  up  the  hill  on 
one  leg  and  two  hands,  in  a  style  of  locomotion  that  was 
amusing." 

The  picture  of  California  Joe  given  at  the  commence- 
ment of  this  sketch,  is  from  a  photograph  taken  during 
the  siege  of  Yorktown,  by  Harper's  special  artist,  and 
represents  him  in  his  position  picking  off  the  Confeder- 
ate gunners.  The  personality  and  situation  are  there- 
fore true  to  life. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Joe  became  connected  with 
Gen.  Curtis,  for  whom  he  trailed  and  did  guide  service 
for  several  years,  following  him  in  the  Wachita  campaign, 
and  afterward  with  the  command  scouting  through  Ne- 
braska and  Dakotah.  In  Gen.  Custer's  work,  "My 
Life  on  the  Plains,"  that  gallant  officer  gives  the  follow- 


438  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS, 

ing  description  of  Joe,  having  reference  to  the  time 
when  his  command  was  operating  against  Black  Kettle, 
in  the  Wachita  mountains  : 

*  *  •  In  concentrating  the  cavalry  which  had  hitherto  been 
operating  in  small  bodies,  it  was  found  that  each  detach- 
ment brought  with  it  the  scouts  who  had  been  serving 
with  them.  When  I  joined  the  command  I  found  quite 
a  number  of  these  scouts  attached  to  various  portions  of 
the  cavalry,  but  each  acting  separately.  For  the  purpose 
of  organization  it  was  deemed  best  to  unite  them  in  a  sep- 
arate detachment  under  command  of  one  of  their  own 
number.  Being  unacquainted  with  the  merits  or  demer- 
its of  any  of  them,  the  selection  of  a  chief  had  to  be 
made  somewhat  at  random. 

"There  was  one  among  their  number  whose  appearance 
would  have  attracted  the  notice  of  any  casual  observer. 
He  was  a  man  about  forty  years>of  age,  perhaps  older, 
over  six  feet  in  height,  and  possessing  a  well  proportioned 
frame.  His  head  was  covered  with  a  luxuriant  crop  of 
long,  almost  black  hair,  strongly  inclined  to  curl,  and  so 
long  as  to  fall  carelessly  over  his  shoulders.  His  face, 
at  least  so  much  of  it  as  was  not  concealed  by  the  long, 
waving  brown  beard  and  moustache,  was  full  of  intelH, 
gence  and  pleasant  to  look  upon.  His  eye  was  undoubt- 
edly handsome,  black  and  lustrous,  with  an  expression 
of  kindness  and  mildness  combined.  On  his  head  was 
generally  to  be  seen,  whether  awake  or  asleep,  a  huge 
sombrero,  or  black  slouch  hat.  A  soldier's  overcoat, 
with  its  large  circular  cape,  a  pair  of  trousers  with  the 
legs  tucked  in  the  top  of  his  long  boots,  usually  consti- 
tuted the  make-up  of  the  man  whom  I  selected  as  chief 
scout.  He  was  known  by  the  euphonious  title  of  *  Cali- 
fornia Joe ; '  no  other  name  seemed  ever  to  have  been 
given  him,  and  no  other  name  appeared  to  be  necessary. 


LIFE  Or  CAUFOBNIA  JOB.  439 

His  military  armament  consisted  of  a  long,  breech-load- 
ing Springfield  musket,  from  which  he  was  inseparable, 
and  a  revolver  and  hunting-knife,  both  the  latter  being 
carried  in  his  waist-belt.  His  mount  completed  his 
equipment  for  the  field,  being,  instead  of  ahorse,  a  finely 
formed  mule,  in  whose  speed  and  endurance  he  had  every 

confidence. 

*  *  *  *  *  * 

"  California  Joe  was  an  inveterate  smoker,  and  was 
rarely  seen  without  his  stubby,  dingy-looking  briarwood 
pipe  in  full  blast.  The  endurance  of  his  smoking  powers 
was  only  surpassed  by  his  loquacity.  His  pipe  frequently 
became  exhausted  and  required  filling,  but  California  Joe 
seemed  never  to  lack  for  material  or  disposition  to  carry 
on  a  conversation,  principally  concerning  personal  adven- 
tures among  the  Indians,  episodes  in  mining  life,  or  expe- 
rience in  overland  journeying  before  the  days  of  steam 
engines  and  palace  cars  rendered  a  trip  across  the  plains 
a  comparatively  uneventful  one.  It  was  evident  from 
the  scraps  of  information  volunteered  from  time  to  time, 
that  there  was  but  little  of  the  Western  country,  from  the 
Pacific  ocean  to  the  Missouri  river,  with  which  California 
Joe  was  not  intimately  acquainted .  He  had  lived  in  Oregon 
years  before,  and  had  become  acquainted  from  time  to 
time  with  most  of  the  officers  who  had  served  on  the  plains 
or  on  the  Pacific  coast.  I  once  inquired  of  him  if  he  had 
ever  seen  General  Sheridan.  He  answered  : 

"'What!  General  Sheridan?  Why,  bless  my  soul,  I 
knowed  Sheridan  away  up  in  Oregon  more'n  fifteen  years 
ago,  and  he  wuz  only  a  second  lieutenant  uv  infantry. 
He  was  quartermaster  uv  the  foot,  er  suthin'  o'  that  soil, 
an'  I  hed  the  contract  fer  furnishin'  wood  to  the  post, 
an',  would  yer  b'leve  it?  I  hed  a  kind  uv  a  sneakin*  no- 
tion that  he'd  hurt  sombody  ef  they'd  ever  turn  him 
loose.  Lord,  but  ain't  he  old  lightnin'  I ' 


440  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

"  This  was  the  man  whom,  upon  a  short  acquaintance, 

I  decided  to  appoint  as  chief  of  the  scouts." 

****** 

'  *  As  the  four  detachments  already  referred  to  were  to 
move  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  it  was  desirable  that  the 
scouts  should  be  at  once  organized  and  assigned.  So, 
sending  for  California  Joe,  I  informed  him  of  his  promo- 
tion and  what  was  expected  of  him  and  his  men.  After 
this  official  portion  of  the  interview  had  been  completed, 
it  seemed  proper  to  Joe's  mind  that  a  more  intimate  ac- 
quaintance between  us  should  be  cultivated,  as  we  had 
never  met  before.  His  first  interrogatory,  addressed  to 
me  in  furtherance  of  this  idea,  was  frankly  put  as  fol- 
lows: 

*' '  See  hyar,  Gineral,  in  order  thet  we  hev  no  misonder- 
standin'  I'd  jist  like  ter  ax  ye  a  few  questions.  First, 
are  ye  an  ambulance  man  er  a  hoss  man  ? ' 

"  Professing  ignorance  of  his  meaning,  I  requested  him 
to  explain. 

"  '  I  mean,'  said  he, «  doyerb'lieve  in  catehin'  Injuns  in 
ambulances  or  on  hossback  ? ' 

"  Still  assuming  ignorance,  I  replied,  '  Well,  Joe,  I  be- 
lieve in  catching  Indians  wherever  we  can  find  them, 
whether  they  are  found  in  ambulances  or  on  horseback.' 

"  *  Thet  ain't  what  I'm  a  drivin'  at,'  he  responded. 
'  S'pose  you're  after  Injuns  and  really  want  to  hev  a 
tussle  with  'em,  would  yer  start  after  'em  on  hossback 
er  would  yer  climb  inter  a  ambulance  and  be  hauled  after 
'em?  Thet's  the  pint  I'm  a  headin'  fer.' 

"  I  answered  that  I  would  prefer  the  method  on  horse- 
back, provided  I  really  desired  to  catch  the  Indians  ;  but 
if  I  wished  them  to  catch  me,  I  would  adopt  the  ambu- 
lance system  of  attack. 

"  4  You've  hit  the  nail  squar  on  the  head,'  said  he, '  I've 


LIFE   OF   CALIFORNIA  JOE.  441 

bin  with  'em  on  the  plains  whar  they  started  out  after  In- 
juns  on  wheels  jist  as  ef  they  war  goin'  to  a  town  fu- 
neral in  ther  States,  an'  they  stood  'bout  as  many  chan- 
ces uv  catchin'  Injuns  ez  a  six-mule  team  would  uv  catchin* 
a  pack  of  thievin'  ki-o-tes,  jist  as  much.  Why,  thet  sort 
uv  work  iz  only  fun  ferthe  Injuns  ;  they  don't  want  any- 
thing better.  Yer  ort  to  've  seed  how  they  peppered  it  to 
us,  and  we  a  doin'  o'  nuthin'  all  the  time.  Sum  uv  'em 
wuz  afraid  the  mules  war  goin'  to  stampede  an  run  off 
with  ther  train  and  all  our  forage  an'  grub,  but  thet  wuz 
impossible ;  fer  besides  the  big  loads  uv  corn  an'  bacon 
an'  baggage  the  wagons  hed  in  'em,  thar  war  from  eight 
to  a  dozen  infantry  men  piled  into  'em  besides.  Yer  ort 
to  hev  heard  the  quartermaster  in  charge  uv  the  train  try- 
in'  to  drive  the  infantry  men  out  uv  the  wagons  and  git 
them  into  ther  fight.  I  'spect  he  wuz  a  Irishman,  by  Jris 
talk,  fer  he  said  to  'em  :  "  Git  out  uv  thirn  wagons  ;  get 
out  uv  thim  wagons  ;  yez'  11  hev  me  thried  fer  disobadi- 
ance  uv  orders  for  marchin'  tin  min  in  a  wagon  whin  I've 
ordhers  fer  but  ait.' ' " 

I  have  quoted  somewhat  liberally  from  Gen.  Ouster,  be- 
cause that  which  is  repeated  above  affords  an  excellent 
basis  upon  which  to  form  an  opinion  of  California  Joe's 
unique  peculiarities.  Old  Joe  was,  however,  of  so  much 
importance  that  Custer  devotes  several  pages  of  his  book 
to  a  rehearsal  of  the  droll  adventures  of  this  singular 
character. 

After  Ouster's  fight  with  Black  Kettle,  in  which  a  great 
victory  was  gained,  breaking  the  power  of  the  Cheyennes 
completely,  Oalifornia  Joe  was  selected  as  courier  to 
carry  the  report  back  to  Gen.  Sheridan,  whose  headquar- 
ters were  at  Camp  Supply.  The  journey  was  not  more 
than  one  hundred  miles,  but  it  was  through  a  country  lib- 
erally beset  with  revengeful  Indians.  Black  Kettle's 


442  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS, 

forces  were,  of  course,  dispersed  in  the  battle  and  had 
divided  up  into  small  parties  so  as  to  facilitate  their  es- 
cape ;  they  had  back-tracked  in  order  to  again  reach  the 
game  country  of  the  Indian  Nation,  and  of  this  fact  Cus- 
ter  was  well  aware  when  he  requested  Joe  to  carry  the 
dispatches,  tendering  him  at  the  same  time,  a  cavalry  es- 
cort of  fifty  men.  Custer  was,  therefore,  very  much 
surprised  to  hear  Joe  say  that  he  wanted  no  escort  and 
that  the  only  companion  he  desired  on  the  trip  was  his 
"pardner,"  Jack  Corbin,  whose  peculiar  characteristic 
was  extreme  taciturnity,  the  very  opposite  of  Joe,  whose 
loquaciousness  was  almost  phenomenal.  It  was  a  singu- 
lar attachment  which  bound  these  two  men  together, 
doubtless  the  desire  of  one  to  do  all  the  talking  while  the 
other  was  contented  only  while  doing  all  the  listening. 
But  whatever  constituted  the  bond  of  friendship  between 
them  it  was  of  a  material  of  great  strength. 

These  two  men,  Joe  and  Corbin,  set  out  from  Ouster's 
camping  place  at  nightfall  and  reached  Camp  Supply  in 
less  than  twenty-four  hours,  though  they  had  to  make 
several  wide  circuits  to  avoid  the  Indians.  Delivering 

o 

the  dispatches  to  Sheridan,  they  received  a  message  for 
Custer  in  reply,  and  with  a  change  of  animals,  returned 
to  the  latter 's  camp  in  just  forty-eight  hours  from  the 
time  of  their  departure. 

During  the  operations  of  Custer  in  the  Wachita  Moun- 
tains, and  after  the  defeat  of  Black  Kettle,  while  the 
command  was  encamped,  California  Joe,  Capt.  D.  L. 
Payne  and  four  of  the  soldiers  went  out  several  miles 
from  camp  for  a  bear  hunt.  While  riding  up  a  canon 
just  across  the  boundary  line  of  New  Mexico,  Joe,  who 
uras  in  advance,  espied  seven  Indians  approaching  up  tha 
same  canon  in  single  file.  In  an  instant  he  threw  him- 
self sideways  off  his  mule,  which  action  was  followed  by 


LIFE   OF   CALIFORNIA   JOB.  443 

the  rest  of  his  party.  Payne,  not  having  observed  the 
Indians,  and  thinking  that  Joe  had  seen  a  bear,  eagerly 
inquired : 

"  Where  is  it,  Joe?" 

'  *  Look  around  that  thar  boulder  and  down  ther  canon ; 
thar's  seven  uv  'em,"  was  his  reply. 

Payne  made  the  examination  as  directed,  and  then  see- 
ing the  Indians,  remarked  : 

"Those  are  Indians,  Joe,  and  perhaps  they  are  coming 
in  to  surrender  themselves,  or  make  peace.  What  do 
you  propose  doing?' 

"What  do  I  p'rpose  ter  do?  Why,  I  p'rpose  to  take 
thar  scalps  ;  we'll  jist  drop  behind  this  here  boulder,  an* 
when  they  come  up  we'll  bag  'em,  hide  an'  all." 

"  No,  no,  Joe,  that  isn't  right ;  we  ought  to  first  decide 
whether  they  are  hostiles  or  not ;  the  fact  is,  I  believe 
they  are  peaceable  Indians,  or  else  they  would  not  be 
riding  so  leisurely  this  near  Ouster's  camp." 

"Look  a  hyar,  Cap,  when  I  make  up  my  mind  to  kill 
Injuns  no  man  can  pervent  me,"  replied  Joe,  and  quickly 
dropping  his  pistol  so  as  to  cover  Capt.  Payne  in  a  vital 
spot,  he  concluded  the  sentence  by  saying,  "  an'  ef  I  find 
it  necessary  I'll  have  ter  drop  yer  first ;  yer  jist  keep 
right  still,  er  off  goes  yer  brain-pan." 

"All  right,  Joe,"  Payne  answered,  "you  have  th« 
drop  on  me,  but  I  am  not  afraid  to  tackle  you  in  a  fair 
way,  even  chances,  if  you  are  sufficiently  offended  by  my 
protest  to  want  satisfaction.  However,  if  the  majority 
of  the  boys  favor  killing  the  Indians,  then  I  am  satisfied 
to  do  my  part  of  it." 

The  soldiers  favored  Joe's  proposition,  and  they  there- 
fore awaited  the  approach ,  with  guns  ready .  When  the  sav- 
ages came  within  about  thirty-five  yardfi  of  the  ambush, 
Payne  noticed  that  the  pony  ridden  by  the  leading  Indian 


444  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

began  to  sniff  and  throw  his  ears  forward,  which  they 
invariably  do  when  catching  the  first  scent  of  a  white 
man. 

"Now  is  your  time,  or  we  will  be  detected,"  and  with 
this  remark  the  six  turned  loose  their  rifles,  dropping  as 
many  Indians,  and  as  the  seventh  and  last  one  turned  to 
run,  another  shot  wounded  his  pony  and  he  was  thus 
placed  at  the  mercy  of  Joe.  But  the  quality  of  that 
mercy  was  quickly  illustrated,  for  in  a  moment  a  ball 
from  the  old  scout's  rifle  penetrated  the  warrior's  brain, 
and  then  there  was  work  for  the  scalping  knife. 

Joe,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand,  said  :  "Now  look  a  hyar, 
boys,  y°u  can  have  the  fixtures,  but  the  scalps  ar'  mine." 
He  then  drew  his  large  hunting  knife,  and  mechanically 
raising  the  head  of  each  dead  Indian,  one  at  a  time,  he 
dexterously  cut  out  a  large  circular  piece  of  scalp  and  hair, 
cramming  each  scalp  into  his  waist-belt  as  it  was  extir- 
pated. 

This  adventure  terminated  the  hunt,  and  they  returned 
to  camp  with  the  trophies  of  their  conquest.  Shortly 
afterward  the  command  was  ordered  to  Ft.  Hays,  and 
there  Joe  sold  his  seven  scalps  to  curiosity  lovers,  and 
scouts  who  were  ambitious  for  the  reputation  o?  Indian 
killers,  at  the  rate  of  five  dollars  each. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CALIFORNIA  JOE  was  a  born  hunter,  trapper  and  guide, 
but  he  seldom  followed  either  of  these  employments  for 
any  considerable  length  of  time,  rather  pursuing  them  in 
rotation  as  if  to  extract  all  the  enjoyment  that  was  to 


LIFE   Or   CALIFORNIA   JOE.  447 

be  found  in  all.  So  from  Ft.  Hays  he  went  to  New 
Mexico  to  kill  game  for  the  outlying  posts  of  that  sec- 
tion. It  was  while  thus  engaged  that  he  met  with  a  most 
singular  adventure,  and  one  which  came  neur  terminating 
his  usefulness  for  anything  save  wolf  bait. 

Passing  under  a  ledge  of  large  boulders,  which  were 
covered  with  a  profusion  of  tropical  vegetation,  an  im- 
mense Mexican  cougar,  or  spotted  panther,  that  had  evi- 
dently been  living  in  an  enforced  fast  until  hunger  had 
made  it  fearless,  sprang  from  its  covert  and  lighted 
squarely  on  Joe's  back.  That  it  meant  to  devour  him 
was  evidenced  by  the  manner  of  attack.  The  animal 
fastened  its  teeth  deep  into  the  flesh  at  the  base  of  Joe's 
neck,  and  with  terrific  growls  began  its  desperate  work, 
rending  his  back  and  ripping  his  sides  with  its  stiletto- 
like  claws. 

The  force  with  which  the  animal  struck  Joe,  when  it 
bounded  upon  his  back,  knocked  his  rifle  several  feet 
distant,  leaving  him  with  only  his  large  knife  for  defense ; 
but  this  he  used  with  such  excellent  results,  notwith- 
standing the  awkward  position  he  was  forced  to  assume, 
that  he  disemboweled  the  voracious  cougar  and  almost 
cut  it  in  two  before  the  animal's  hold  was  broken.  He 
killed  the  powerful  beast,  but  his  own  injuries  were  of 
the  most  serious  character,  and  but  for  his  great  knowl- 
edge of  the  medicinal  virtues  contained  in  several  plants 
in  convenient  proximity,  he  would  surely  have  died  of  his 
wounds.  He  was  still  able  to  secure  the  plants  needed, 
from  which  he  prepared  a  balsamic  poultice  with  which 
he  bound  up  his  neck,  the  properties  of  the  plants  being 
to  stay  the  flow  of  blood  and  absorb  the  poison  which 
always  appears  after  the  bite  of  an  animal.  But  when 
the  wound  healed  a  very  large  and  prominent  scar  re- 
mained, which  marked  him  until  his  death. 


44:8  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

In  1875  California  Joe  and  Jack  Corbin,  his  old 
partner,  went  to  the  Black  Hills  to  try  their  luck 
in  gold  mining.  They  built  a  small  cabin  at  a  point 
where  the  indications  were  good,  but  after  digging 
for  seme  time  without  reaching  pay  dirt,  they 


California  Joe  Saves  his  Friend. 


LITE   OF   CALIFORNIA   JOB.  449 

started  another  prospect  hole  about  five  miles  further 
up  the  mountains.  Here  their  work  was  prosecuted 
with  much  vigor  and  some  profit.  On  one  occasion 
Joe  had  gone  back  to  the  cabin  for  some  blasting  pow- 
der,  all  their  heavy  articles  being  stored  at  that  place, 
leaving  Corbin  alone  for  the  time  being.  Upon  his  re- 
turn, and  when  within  a  short  distance  of  the  prospect 
hole,  Joe  heard  his  partner  shouting  for  help.  He  rushed 
forward  with  all  possible  speed,  and  just  as  he  reached 
an  opening  commanding  a  view  of  the  spot  where  the 
mine  was  being  put  down,  he  saw  Corbin  down  upon  one 
knee  battling  with  a  large,  powerful  Sioux  Indian,  whose 
knife  was  being  uplifted  for  a  fatal  plunge.  It  was 
scarcely  an  instant,  so  quick,  in  fact,  that  the  knife  had 
not  begun  to  descend,  when  Joe  raised  his  rifle  and  sent 
a  ball  crashing  through  the  Indian's  heart. 

After  his  marvelous  rescue  from  death,  Corbin  related 
to  Joe  the  circumstances  of  the  attack  substantially  as 
follows : 

4 '  I  was  working  on  the  shale  at  the  side  of  the  pit, 
and  just  as  I  came  to  the  top  for  the  purpose  of  empty- 
ing the  bucket,  before  I  had  a  suspicion  of  an  Indian's 
presence,  this  fellow  (poking  the  dead  Indian  with  his 
foot)  leaped  on  me,  imd  as  his  strength  was  far  greater 
than  my  own,  I  was  bvf:rne  to  the  ground  and  had  to  fight 
with  my  bare  hands  co  prevent  him  from  stabbing  me. 
I  maintained  this  unequal  contest  for  several  minutes, 
keeping  hold  of  his  wrists,  with  all  my  might,  shouting 
for  you  all  the  while,  for  I  felt  that  unless  assistance 
came  soon  my  doom  was  sealed.  At  length  he  released 
his  right  hand,  and  was  in  the  attitude  you  saw  him  when 
that  blessed  bullet  f om  old  '  never  fail '  picked  me  up  out 
of  the  very  jaws  of  death." 

Some  weeks  after  this  incident  another  more  was  made 


450  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

in  search  of  better  paying  dirt,  the  next  location  being 
on  the  side  of  an  adjacent  mountain  about  the  same  dis- 
tance (five  miles)  from  their  cabin.  It  was  customary 
for  the  two  miners  to  carry  their  provisions  and  cooking 
utensils  with  them  on  a  small  burro,  so  that  they  were 
not  compelled  to  return  to  the  cabin  at  the  close  of  each 
day's  work,  especially  as  the  weather  was  so  delightful 
as  to  permit  a  comfortable  sleep  on  the  ground,  where, 
in  fact,  it  was  cooler,  and  therefore  more  pleasant,  than 
down  in  the  valley  where  their  cabin  was  situated. 

Corbin  was  sent  over  to  Custer  City  after  new  supplies, 
shortly  after  their  last  location  was  made,  and  during  his 
absence  California  Joe,  being  unable  to  work  in  the  pit 
without  assistance,  concluded  to- prospect  over  the  adjoin- 
ing district,  entertaining  a  hope  that  he  might  make  some 
great  discovery  by  which  to  surprise  Corbin  on  his  return. 
So,  packing  his  patient  little  burro,  he  set  out  up  the 
mountain  side,  carrying  his  rifle  and  pistol  with  him. 
After  searching  for  some  time  he  found  what  appeared  to 
be  excellent  surface  indications  of  gold,  and  here  he  tied 
his  little  pack  animal  and  began  to  work  with  his  pick. 

In  working  around  over  the  various  places  he  left  his 
gun  lying  on  the  ground  some  distance  from  him.  Pretty 
soon  his  attention  was  attracted  by  an  "Ugh!  White 
man  !"  the  voice  and  sound  of  which  immediately  apprised 
him  of  an  Indian's  presence.  Joe  quickly  grasped  his 
pistol,  but  before  turning  round  looked  over  his  shoulder 
and  saw  an  Indian  holding  his  (Joe's)  gun,  and  looking 
at  him  with  a  very  demure  countenance,  while  some  dis- 
tance in  the  background  were  two  others  watching  the 
proceedings.  Knowing  with  what  dread  the  Indians  re- 
garded him ,  Joe  spoke  out  • 

44  Ugh  I  white  man,  yes  ;  California  Joe.  Come  on 
fight." 


LIFE   OF   CALIFORNIA   JOE. 


451 


By  this  time  Joe  had  his  pistol  presented,  while  the 
profoundly  astonished  at  meeting  an  adversary 


of  such  known  powers,  changed  his  demeanor,  and  ad- 
vancing, proffered  Joe  his  hand.     Instead  of  attacking 


452  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

him  as  they  had  intended,  the  Indians  made  manj  oveis 
tures  of  friendship,  and  returning  Joe's  gun,  they  soon 
afterward  departed.  The  first  Indian,  who  had  crept  up 
and  secured  the  gun,  evidently  believed  that  he  could 
intimidate  the  owner,  who  was  left  with  nothing  but  a 
pistol  to  fight  three  Indians  ;  but  the  magic  in  the  name 
of  "  California  Joe  "  changed  their  purpose. 

This  wonderful  dread  of  one  man,  and  of  California 
Joe  in  particular,  was  illustrated  before,  in  1869,  as  will 
be  found  related  in  the  life  of  Captain  Payne,  whose 
escape  from  a  frightful  death  was  due  entirely  to  the 
belief  entertained  by  a  large  body  of  Indians  who  had 
surrounded  him  and  two  others,  that  one  of  his  comrades 
was  California  Joe. 


CHAPTER  V. 

DURING  Gen.  Crook's  expedition  to  the  Big  Hon* 
country,  California  Joe  proffered  his  services,  which  were 
gladly  accepted.  All  the  regular  army  boys  were  warm- 
ly attached  to  him  on  account  of  his  droll  character  and 
excellent  fighting  qualities,  and  when  he  came  into  camp 
they  gave  him  a  genuine  ovation.  Buffalo  Bill  was  a 
special  favorite  of  Joe's  and  to  be  with  him  Joe  would 
sacrifice  almost  any  interest.  The  principal  reasons  for 
this  attachment  were  found  in  the  rollicking  freedom,  gen- 
erosity, true  grit,  and  infectious  good  humor  of  Bill,  and 
chiefly,  it  may  also  be  added,  because  of  Bill's  extraordi- 
nary good  skirmishing  and  nosing  qualities  for  "  SOUP 
mash,"  of  which  grain  extraction  Joe  was  passionately 
fond.  As  Bill  would  divide  his  last  cent  with  a  comrade, 


LIFE   OF   CALIFORNIA   JOB.  453 

he  was  no  less  noted  for  dividing  his  last  "  drop  "  with  a 
friend,  and  Joe  was  always  a  solicitor  for  that  "drop." 
After  the  command  reached  the  Big  Horn  mountains  and 
was  moving  in  daily  expectation  of  meeting  the  Sioux, 
Bill  called  Joe  to  his  tent  one  evening  while  they  were  in 
camp,  and  said: 

"  Joe,  now  you  have  been  with  this  expedition  for  more 
than  two  weeks  without  being  on  the  pay-roll.  General 
Crook  is  glad  to  have  your  services,  and  there  is  no  reason 
that  I  know  of  why  you  cannot  be  regularly  engaged  as  a 
scout,  and  thus  draw  a  salary  of  five  dollars  per  day.  If 
you  would  like  the  service  I  will  see  Crook  and  have  you 
engaged .  What  do  you  say  to  the  proposition  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  I  don't  know  'bout  this  here  scoutin'  with  Crook ; 
'pears  to  me  I  wouldn't  jist  like  it,"  replied  Joe. 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  what  your  objection  5s  ;  it  is  only 
your  own  interest  that  I  have  in  view  ;  the  service  is  well 
organized  and  Crook  is  a  splendid  officer.  What  is  the 
trouble?"  Bill  urged. 

"  I've  got  reasons  of  my  own,"  responded  Joe. 
Bill  waited  some  moments  for  further  explanations, 
but  hearing  none  he  inquired  : 

"Well,  Joe,  you  have  no  objection  to  telling  me, have 
you,  why  4  you  can't  expect  proper  treatment  from  Gen. 
Crook?" 

The  reply  was  fully  characteristic  of  Joe.  Putting  on 
an  innocent  and  injured  look,  he  responded  : 

"  Fact  is  jist  this,  Bill,  and  I  don't  mind  tellin'  uvyou, 
because  you  are  my  friend  and  I  know  it  won't  go 
any  further,  I'll  never  scout  for  any  'tarnal  government 
officer  that  won't  furnish  pie  to  his  men.  Now,  thet's 
my  reason." 

Bill  was,  of  course,  fairly  convulsed  with  laughter  at 
the  joke  Joe  had  thus  perpetrated  on  htm,  and  the 


454  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

way  to  get  eren  he  at  once  availed  himself  of.  So  turn* 
ing  about,  he  raised  the  lid  of  a  "sacred"  chest,  and 
drawing  from  a  very  obscure  corner  thereof  a  dark-col- 
ored bottle,  presented  it  to  Joe  with  the  remark : 

"Old  boy,  that's  good.  Imbibe  I  I'll  have  you  put 
on  the  pay-roll  to-morrow  as  scout,  and  see  that  you  get 
a  daily  ration  of  *  pie.'  ! 

When  Crook's  command  reached  Independence  Rock, 
on  the  Sweetwater,  another  incident  occurred  illustrative 
of  Joe's  penchant  for  perpetrating  jokes.  At  this  point 
the  expedition  went  into  camp,  and  the  boys — as  the 
soldiers  are  invariably  called  in  camp — after  hard  march- 
ing, were  hungry  and  wanted  a  few  extras,  something  at 
least  to  take  the  part  of  dessert  to  their  regular  rations 
of  hard  crackers  and  bacon.  Some  new  supplies  were 
received  at  Independence  Rock,  which  included  a  large 
variety  of  canned  fruits  and  meats,  the  very  appearance 
of  which  was  to  the  privates  like  cool,  crystal  water  to 
the  traveler  in  a  desert,  famishing  from  thirst.  Several 
of  the  boys  rushed  up  to  the  commissary  asking  for  ra- 
tions of  canned  goods,  but  they  could  be  obtained  only 
upon  an  order  issued  by  the  commissary  sergeant,  a  fact 
which  several  were  not  made  acquainted  with,  and  conse' 
quently  could  not  understand  why  they  were  refused. 

Joe  procured  the  necessary  order,  and  going  to  the 
commissary,  obtained  a  large  quantity  of  canned  corn, 
tomatoes,  sardines,  oysters,  peaches,  etc.,  which  h© 
placed  on  his  arm  and  then  shuffled  through  the  camp  to 
his  tent,  taking  good  care  to  display  his  "rations"  to 
those  who  had  been  refused.  Presently  one  of  the  sol- 
diers stopped  him  and  said : 

"Hold  on,  Joe,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  how  you  got 
those  canned  goods.  I've  been  up  there  begging  for  a 
few  cans  and  they  wouldn't  give  me  a  single  one." 


LIFE    OF   CALIFOBNIA   JOS.  455 

"  Oh,"  replied  Joe,  "that's  ther  way  they  treat  some 
ttT  the  boys  that  they  think  will  stand  it.  I  tell  you  thet 
them  thar  canned  goods  belong  to  ther  soldiers,  and  ef 
you'll  do  as  I  did  they'll  give  yer  all  yer  want." 

"Well,  what  must  I  do,  Joe?" 

"Why,  jist  go  up  boldly  to  thet  ther  commissary  with 
feher  list  yer  want,  an*  ef  he  refuses  to  giv'  'em  to  yer, 
knock  him  down  an'  take  what  yer  want.  Them  commis- 
sary fellers  thinks  they're  'fernal  smart ;  yer've  got  ter 
teach  'em  thet  they  ain't,  thet's  all." 

Believing  implicitly  every  word  Joe  had  said,  the  sol- 
dier, who  was  a  large  double-jointed  descendant  of  the 
Grampian  stock,  immediately  started  off  to  get  the  can- 
ned goods  peaceably  if  he  could,  forcibly  if  he  must. 
Having  made  out  a  list  of  what  he  wanted,  the  private 
< sailed  on  the  commissary  and  put  in  his  request. 

"  Where  is  your  order?"  asked  the  commissary. 

"Here's  my  order,  and  I  want  it  filled,"  replied  the 
soldier. 

"We  don't  recognize  that  kind  of  an  order  here ;  you 

»QUSt ' 

But  the  sentence  was  left  unfinished,  for  the  great  right 
hand  bower  of  that  enraged  soldier  fell  so  heavily 
against  the  commissary's  right  eye  that  he  would  have 
been  falling  yet,  perhaps,  if  some  friend  had  not  caught 
him.  The  soldier  then  leaped  over  the  counter  and  help- 
ed himself,  and  he  took  care  not  to  be  stingy  about  the 
quantity  either.  This  soldier  who  was  bound  to  have  his 
* « rights ' '  was  duly  arrested  and  brought  bef  ore  Colonel 
Mills,  who  gave  him  a  severe  sentence,  but  learning  the 
part  that  Joe  had  acted,  released  him  after  an  imprison- 
ment of  one  day.  The  Colonel  afterward  asked  Joe  why 
he  had  so  deceived  the  soldier,  and  was  answered : 

"Oh,  I  didn't  mean  any  harm  ;  only  I  wanted  to  hev  a 
little  fun." 


456  HEROES    OF   THE   FLAUfS. 

There  is  one  more  humorous  incident  arising  from 
Joe's  love  of  practical  joking,  that  must  be  included 
before  closing  this  brief  record  of  his  life. 

The  Crook  expedition,  with  Col.  Anson  Mills  command- 
ing, was  passing  through  Yellowstone  Park  at  a  late  hour 
one  afternoon,  when,  reaching  a  spot  within  a  mile  of 
the  intended  camp  for  the  night,  Joe  came  across  an  old 
grave,  before  which  he  stopped  and  reverently  uncovered 
head,  appearing  at  the  same  time  to  be  much  affected. 
Of  course  the  boys  who  saw  him  in  this  attitude — and  it 
was  nearly  the  entire  command — were  anxious  to  know 
the  cause  of  his  singular  action.  His  reply  was  as  fol- 
lows : 

' '  This  hyar  is  the  grave  of  poor  Amos  Billings ;  I 
helped  to  bury  him  in  this  spot  'way  back  in  '36.  Yer 
see  there  wuz  a  party  uv  twenty  uv  us,  an'  we  hed  been 
up  to  the  Black  Hills  a  diggin'  gold.  We  found  so  much 
uv  the  precious  stuff  thet  we  actually  loaded  ourselves 
down  with  it.  Every  man  hed  his  mule  loaded  to  the 
las'  poun'  it  could  carry,  and  besides  this  we  all  hed  our 
pockets  full.  In  fact  we  hed  to  leave  a  lot  uv  it  behind, 
becos  we  couldn't  carry  another  ounce.  Well,  when  we 
got  ter  this  place  we  went  into  camp  ;  an'  thet  night  poor 
Billings  took  ther  cramps.  Lordy  !  how  he  did  suffer, is 
awful  f er  me  to  think  uv  now.  We  did  everything  in 
our  power  to  help  him,  but,  poor  fellow,  he  died,  and 
here  is  whar  we  buried  him.  As  all  uv  us  already  hed 
all  the  gold  we  could  carry,  we  buried  Billings'  gold  with 
him,  includin'  what  his  mule  was  a  carryin',  fer  none  uv 
us  considered  thet  we  hed  any  right  to  it.  Poor  Amos 
Billings!  here  is  [one  tear  more  to  moisten  yer  grave." 

Shortly  after  dark,  when  the  command  had  gone  into 
camp,  the  entire  force  under  Col.  Mills  attacked  "Poor 
Amos  Billings'  grave,"  and  no  body  of  men  ever  worked 


LITE   OF   CALIFORNIA   JOE.  457 

harder  and  with  greater  expectations  than  they.  When 
the  excavation  had  reached  a  depth  of  about  ten  feet, 
with  a  most  astonishing  circumference,  they  found — 
nothing  but  some  old  bones  ! 

Joe  had  conceived  this  monstrous  lie  almost  as  soon  as 
he  discovered  the  grave  ;  and  though  he  placed  the  date 
of  burial  almost  anterior  to  his  own  birth,  the  "  golden 
story"  turned  the  soldiers  wild,  and  as  he  looked  around 
and  saw  the  deserted  camp,  he  only  murmured,  "What 
'fernal  fools  these  fellers  be  !" 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  nearly  every  one  who 
enjoyed  his  acquaintance  was  his  friend,  Joe  died  the  vic- 
tim of  the  most  damnable  assassination.  On  the  5th 
day  of  December,  1876,  while  sitting  in  front  of  his 
cabin  at  Red  Cloud,  Dakotah,  performing  some  little 
duty,  a  cowardly  fiend  slipped  up  to  the  corner  of  "the 
cabin,  where,  from  a  concealed  position,  he  shot  poor  old 
Joe  to  death.  It  was  a  most  terrible  murder,  which  could 
find  a  parallel  only  in  the  assassination  of  his  friend, 
Wild  Bill,  only  four  months  before,  and,  deplorable  to 
relate,  Joe's  murderer  made  good  his  escape  and  has 
since  been  apprehended. 


Kit  Carson  and  bis  Blind  Horse, 


458 


LIFE  OF  KIT  CARSON. 


CHAPTER  I. 

No  character  of  which  history  gives  any  account  pre 
«ents  more  anomalous  peculiarities  than  that  of  Kit  Car- 
son. His  whole  nature  was  enigmatic,  for  no  two  per- 
sons, however  intimate  they  might  have  been  with  him, 
whether  on  the  plains  or  in  the  councils  of  white  men  or 
Indians,  could  agree  in  their  estimation  of  his  traits  of 
character.  Like  the  temple  of  Janus,  he  always  pre- 
sented two  or  more  unlike  sides,  each  so  distinctly  prom- 
inent that  those  about  him  were  invariably  diverse  in 
their  opinions  respecting  his  disposition.  He  was,  ap- 
parently, at  once  the  polished  gentleman  and  the  rough 
plainsman;  shrinking  from  and  courting  danger  at  the 
same  time ;  an  adviser  and  the  reckless  mad-cap  of  his 
companions  ;  large  in  his  own  estimation,  yet  modest  and 
most  unpretentious  among  his  associates ;  a  lover  of 
peace,  though  still  the  organizer  of  discord.  In  brief, 
he  was  unlike  any  person  save  himself  alone,  and  had  it 
been  possible  his  spirit  would  certainly  have  abandoned 
its  own  castle,  so  as  to  present  a  perfect  dissimilarity. 
These  strange  peculiarities  will  be  partly  seen  in  the  fol- 
lowing biographical  sketch,  which  pretends  to  no  other 
merit  than  that  of  a  faithful  portraiture,  after  a  thorough 
consideration  of  all  the  available  facts  connected  with  his 
remarkable  career. 
4*8 


460  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

CHRISTOPHER  (Kit)  CARSON'S  birth-place  has  been  va- 
riously located,  and  all  authors  who  have  attempted  to 
write  the  history  of  his  adventures  have  usually  prefaced 
their  labors  with  an  argument  attempting  to  prove  their 
respective  claims,  some  asserting  that  he  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  others  in  Illinois,  and  yet  others  claiming 
Missouri  as  his  place  of  nativity.  The  opinion  of  the 
writer,  gained  from  proofs  adduced  by  Peters  and  Bur- 
dett,  both  of  whom  have  been  Carson's  biographers,  is, 
that  his  native  place  was  Madison  County,  Kentucky, 
where  he  was  born  on  the  24th  of  December,  1809.  La 
the  following  year,  the  family  removed  to  what  was  then 
Upper  Louisiana,  but  what  is  now  Missouri,  settling  in  a 
region  of  country  which,  at  this  time,  is  defined  as  How- 
ard County. 

Gen.  John  C.  Fremont,  during  his  great  exploring 
expedition  through  the  West  in  the  years  1843-44,  em- 
ployed Kit  Carson  as  his  chief  guide,  and  in  giving  an 
exhaustive  report  of  his  travels  and  discoveries  devoted 
much  space  to  a  description  of  the  renowned  hunter  and 
his  wonderful  adventures.  The  General,  in  this  report, 
claims  that  Carson  was  a  native  of  Boonslick  County, 
Missouri,  but  as  there  is  no  such  county  in  that  State  the 
assertion  furnishes  the  proof  of  its  own  error.  It  is  very 
probable,  however,  that  Gen.  Fremont  meant  Boone 
County,  which  adjoins  Howard,  and  as  Missouri  was  not 
organized  into  counties  until  some  time  after  Carson's 
birth,  being  ceded  to  the  United  States  by  France  in 
1804  and  admitted  as  a  State  in  1821,  the  causes  which 
led  to  such  an  error  are  manifest.  Another  important 
fact  in  this  connection  affords  a  still  readier  means  for 
determining  the  cause  of  the  error  referred  to,  and  also 
the  reasons  which  induced  a  removal  of  Kit  Carson's 
father  to  Missouri,  may  be  stated  as  follows : 


LITE    OF   KIT    CAKSON.  461 

Directly  after  the  formation  of  the  territorial  govern- 
ment over  Missouri,  the  great  Salt  Springs  of  Howard 
county,  bearing  the  name  of  "  Boonslick,"  in  honor  of 
Daniel  Boone,  the  famous  Kentucky  woodsman,  became 
the  center  of  attraction  to  all  emigrants  seeking  homes 
west  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Although  this  section  of 
the  country  was  occupied  by  numerous  bands  of  Indians, 
none  of  the  tribes  offered  any  hostility  to  the  settlement 
of  white  men  on  their  lands  until  the  encroachments  inci- 
ted cupidity  and  numerous  crimes.  These  salt  works 
were  operated  by  Major  James  Morrison,  and  with  such 
success  that  they  became  the  means  of  a  rapid  building 
up  of  the  new  territory. 

One  of  the  first  offices  opened  by  the  United  States  for 
the  sale  of  lands  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Boonslick  in  the  year  1818,  when  Illinois  had  just 
been  admitted  to  the  sisterhood  of  States.  It  was  imme- 
diately thronged  with  purchasers  of  lands  which,  the  set- 
tlers, however,  had  already  been  cultivating.  Some  of 
these  had  located  themselves  on  the  public  domain  as  soon 
as  it  had  been  purchased  by  the  United  States,  and  fore- 
going personal  safety  and  the  comforts  of  refined  society, 
had  plunged  into  the  wilderness  and  carved  out  homes 
with  their  own  hands.  Among  this  number  was  the 
father  of  Kit  Carson,  who  became  possessed  of  a  fine 
tract  of  land  on  Bonne  Femme  creek. 

In  the  year  1810,  when  the  infant  Kit  came  to  Mis- 
souri, the  territory  contained  a  population  of  20,845  souls, 
and  but  a  single  newspaper,  the  Gazette,  which  is  still 
running  as  the  Missouri  Republican,  and  is  to-day  the 
most  important  and  influential  paper  published  west  of 
the  Mississippi.  The  primitive  condition  of  the  wilder- 
ness in  which  the  brave  hunter  was  to  be  reared,  and  th« 
causes  which  led  to  his  adoption  of  a  hunter's  life,  des- 


462  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

tined  to  be  so  replete  with  adventure,  can  thus  be  readily 
conceived.  The  numerous  Indian  wars  which  engaged 
the  settlers  during  the  years  of  1811  to  1820  it  is  hardly 
appropriate  tcr  describe  here,  especially  since  the  father 
of  Kit  Carson  rarely  participated,  or  if  he  did  no  record 
is  available  from  which  the  circumstances  may  be  gathered. 

Kit  Carson,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  had  already  become 
an  expert  with  the  rifle,  having  manifested  a  passion  for 
hunting  at  an  uncommonly  early  age.  Day  after  day  he 
would  wander  through  the  forests,  wholly  unaccompa- 
nied, in  pursuit  of  bear,  deer  and  wolves,  exhibiting 
especial  delight  in  meeting  with  the  largest  species  of  the 
former,  hundreds  of  which  became  victims  to  his  aim 
before  he  was  scarcely  more  than  a  dozen  years  old.  He 
exhibited  a  more  ardent  desire  for  adventure  as  he  grew 
older,  and  in  1826,  hoping  to  find  opportunity  for  a  grati- 
fication of  his  longings,  he  joined  a  band  of  traders  in 
an  expedition  from  St.  Louis  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico. 
During  this  trip  no  special  incident  occurred  beyond  the 
accidental  shooting  of  one  of  the  party,  which  necessi- 
tated the  amputation  of  an  arm.  In  the  performance  of 
this  surgical  operation  Carson,  because  of  the  assistance 
he  proffered  and  the  nerve  he  exhibited,  was  called  to  act 
the  chief  part.  The  instruments  used  consisted  of  a 
razor,  hand-saw  and  an  iron  bolt ;  the  latter  being  heated 
to  high  temperature  and  used  to  cauterize  the  bleeding 
cut.  Although  little  skill  was  used  in  the  operation,  the 
wounded  man  recovered  and  served  in  subsequent  expe- 
ditions. 

After  the  arrival  of  the  traders  at  Santa  Fe,  Carson 
abandoned  the  party  and  went  to  Fernandez  de  Taos, 
where  he  became  intimate  with  a  mountaineer  and  re- 
mained during  the  following  year,  engaged  chiefly  in 
breaking  wild  horaes,  which,  after  being  caught,  were 


LIFE    OF   KIT    CARSON. 


463 


kept  in  haciendos  until  a  rider  could  be  secured  to  domes- 
ticate them.  Being  thrown  with  Mexicans  exclusively, 
Kit  applied  himself  earnestly  to  the  acquirement  of  the 


Spanish  language,  in  which,  after  a  year  of  study,  he  be- 
came sufficiently  conversant  to  fill  the  position  of  inter- 
preter to  a  rich  American  merchant  _named  Trammell, 


464  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

with  whom  he  made  a  trip  to  El  Paso  and  Chihuahua. 
Leaving  this  service  a  year  afterward,  Carson  became 
teamster  in  an  expedition  fitted  out  by  Robt.  M.  Knight, 
for  a  trip  to  the  copper  mines  on  the  Gila  river,  but  re- 
turning within  a  few  months  he  again  visited  Taos. 

Having  saved  a  few  dollars  from  the  services  in  which 
he  had  been  employed,  Kit  spent  a  few  months  in  Taos, 
and  until  an  opportunity  was  offered  him  to  join  a  band 
of  forty  trappers  under  Ewing  Young.  These  trappers 
were  organized  into  a  well  armed  body  in  order  to  repel 
the  attacks  of  Indians,  who  bitterly  resisted  the  attempts 
of  white  men  to  trap  beavers  on  the  waters  of  the  Gila 
or  its  tributaries. 

The  party  proceeded  directly  to  Salt  River,  one  of  the 
affluents  to  the  Rio  Gila,  upon  reaching  which  they  were 
attacked  by  a  body  of  Indians,  but  the  engagement  was 
short  and  decisive.  The  Indians  were  routed  with  severe 
loss,  leaving  eleven  of  their  number  dead  on  the  ground, 
their  flight  being  too  hasty  to  permit  of  carrying  the  fallen 
ones  with  them.  This  was  Carson's  first  Indian  fight, 
but  he  displayed  the  rare  presence  of  mind  and  cool  de- 
cision of  character  which  at  once  furnished  the  true  index 
to  the  success  of  his  subsequent  adventures. 

After  trapping  with  much  success  on  the  Salt  and  San 
Francisco  rivers,  the  company  broke  camp  and  divided, 
one  portion  returning  to  Santa  Fe  and  the  other,  eighteen 
in  number,  including  Carson,  started  for  the  Sacramento 
Valley,  California.  In  this  dreary  journey,  rendered 
moce  difficult  by  the  dry  deserts  through  which  the  route 
lay,  the  party  suffered  greatly  for  want  of  both  food  and 
water.  So  reduced  did  they  become  before  reaching 
their  destination  that  availing  themselves  of  the  last  re- 
source, they  killed  several  of  their  horses,  drinking  the 
blood  and  consuming  the  flesh  of  the  faithful  animals. 


LIFE    OF   KIT    CARSON.  465 

Reaching  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Sacramento,  after 
weeks  of  exhausting  effort,  they  began  trapping  again  for 
beaver,  in  which  occupation  they  spent  several  months 
most  profitably. 

Shortly  before  the  close  of  the  trapping  season  a  band 
of  Digger  Indians  came  upon  the  party  during  the  night 
and  succeeded  in  driving  off  nearly  all  their  horses,  flee- 
ing with  the  animals  to  the  mountains.  The  Mohave  In- 
dians at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  with  whom  the  trap- 
pers had  been  maintaining  commercial  intercourse,  kindly 
loaned  the  party  the  necessary  number  of  horses  to  pur- 
sue the  dusky  thieves.  Carson,  though  scarcely  twenty 
years  of  age,  had  nevertheless  demonstrated  his  marvel- 
ous abilities  as  a  fighter,  and  to  him  was  entrusted  the 
leadership  of  the  expedition  for  the  recovery  of  the  stolen 
horses.  Accordingly,  selecting  eleven  of  his  comrades, 
and  leaving  the  remainder  to  protect  the  camp  and  pel- 
tries, he  started  after  the  marauding  Indians  without  hav- 
ing the  slightest  idea  of  their  number.  But  discovering 
the  trail  soon  after,  no  room  for  doubt  was  left  that  the 
band  comprised  not  less  than  one  hundred  savages.  But 
this  fact  di'd  not  deter  him  in  his  previously  formed  reso- 
lution, for  he  advanced  with  all  possible  speed  through 
valleys  and  over  mountains  until  the  fresh  trail  admonish- 
ed him  to  move  more  cautiously.  More  than  a  hundred 
miles  from  the  trapper's  camp  the  red  skins  were  discov- 
ered during  a  late  hour  in  the  afternoon,  just  as  they  were 
going  into  camp  for  the  night. 

Having  located  the  Indians  and  taken  careful  note  of 
the  surroundings,  the  time  had  now  come  for  an  exhibi- 
tion of  Carson's  abilities.  Twelve  men  set  over  against 
a  hundred  furnished  an  inequality  which  could  only  be 
compensated  by  extraordinary  cunning  and  complete  sur- 
prise. Kit  was  was  fully  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  his 


466 

comrades  having  perfect  confidence  in  the  dexterity  an<3 
capacity  of  their  leader  were  prompt  in  obedience  to  his 
orders. 

Carson  disposed  his  men  in  such  a  manner  that,  while 
they  remained  concealed  from  view,  they  could  yet  read- 
ily distinguish  every  movement  of  the  Indians  ;  ascertain 
the  location  of  sentinels  and  the  weak  points  in  the  camp. 
Maintaining  this  position,  the  party  awaited  the  approach 
of  midnight  before  making  an  attack,  the  wisdom  of 
Which  decision  was  determined  in  the  result.  Their  pur- 
pose was  assisted  by  the  pall  of  darkness  which  fell  on 
the  landscape,  rendering  objects  almost  invisible  except 
by  a  concentration  of  vision,  and  a  previous  knowledge 
of  the  position  occupied  by  the  object  sought.  The  In- 
dians, not  anticipating  the  presence  of  foes,  wei-e  not  on 
their  guard,  while  the  little  band  of  determined  men  led 
by  Carson  were  directed  by  the  knowledge  they  had 
gained  before  night  came  on. 

When  the  auspicious  hour  had  arrived  Carson  led  his 
men  in  a  careful  detour,  until  having  approached  to  the 
position  it  was  necessary  to  first  reach,  he  made  a  dash, 
followed  by  the  others,  directly  through  the  Indian  camp, 
shooting  into  the  tents  as  they  sped  by,  and  whooping 
with  such  vigor  that  the  horse  thieves  evidently  believed 
they  had  been  surprised  by  an  entire  tribe  of  native  en- 
emies. The  direst  confusion  followed  this  sudden  attack, 
and  as  the  greatest  advantage  was  now  offered,  Carson 
and  his  men  rushed  on  to  the  corral,  where  they  found 
the  Indians'  horses  tethered.  These  they  speedily  re- 
leased and  then  stampeded,  affording  the  party  means 
of  escape  during  the  confusion,  for  Carson's  good 
judgment  told  him  that  after  the  first  tremor  of  surprise 
had  run  through  the  camp  his  enemies  would  recover 
their  scattered  sense*  and  not  only  give  battle  but  f ol- 
low  hard  in  pursuit. 


LIFE   OF   KIT   CARSON.  467 

Directing  his  men  to  secure  at  least  one  extra  horse, 
some  time  was  spent  chasing  the  flying  ponies  over  the 
mountains,  but  the  darkness  prevented  the  party  from 
capturing  any  of  the  stampeded  animals  until  the  follow- 
ing day,  when  thirty  head  were  secured,  and  the  trappers 
then  returned  to  their  companions,  who  had  been  op- 
pressed with  grave  fears  for  their  safety,  and  hailed  their 
return  with  many  manifestations  of  joy. 

Shortly  after  this  event  the  trappers,  still  accompanied 
by  Mr.  Young  as  the  leader,  broke  camp,  and  with  an 
immense  quantity  of  beaver  skins  returned  to  Santa  Fe 
over  the  same  route  they  had  passed  in  going  to  the 
Sacramento  and  Jan  Jose  valleys.  These  products  of 
their  labors  they  disposed  of,  and  upon  a  division  of  the 
proceeds,  each  man  in  the  party  was  given  $500  as  his 
share.  In  possession  of  so  much  money,  Carson  was 
unable  to  restrain  his  bent  for  indulging  freely  in  the 
dissipations  peculiar  to  Mexican  towns,  and  during  this 
period  of  hilarious  intercourse  with  the  rude  natives  he 
became  involved  in  a  desperate  street  brawl,  which 
terminated  by  his  flight  after  having  killed  one  of  his 
opponents. 

Being  forced  to  leave  New  Mexico,  owing  to  the  nu- 
merous threats  made  against  his  life,  Carson  proceeded 
toward  Missouri,  but  meeting  a  party  of  trappers  under 
James  Fitzpatrick,  he  joined  them  in  a  journey  to  Utah. 
For  a  time  the  party  trapped  on  the  Platte,  Sweet  Water, 
Goose  and  Salmon  rivers,  but  with  indifferent  success ; 
besides,  the  Blackf  eet  Indians  gave  them  constant  anxiety, 
as  the  tribe  was  a  very  numerous  and  hostile  one,  whose 
delight  was  in  massacreing  the  whites. 

In  the  spring  of  1830  Kit  Carson  and  four  others  left 
Mr.  Fitzpatrick' s  party,  and  proceeded  to  New  Park,  on 
the  headwaters  of  the  Arkansas,  where  they  continued 

28 


468  HEROES   OF    THE    PLAINS. 

trapping  in  the  company  of  Captain  John  Yount  and 
twenty  others,  until  the  return  of  spring  the  following 
year.  While  wintering  in  camp  a  band  of  sixty  Crow 
Indians  robbed  the  party  of  several  horses,  to  recapture 
which  Carson  was  dispatched  with  fifteen  men  after  the 
robbers. 

Taking  up  the  trail  he  followed  the  Indians  until  h« 
found  them  entrenched  behind  a  rude  fortification  of  logs 
with  their  horses  tied  within  ten  feet  of  their  shelter. 
Carson  gave  his  men  no  time  to  reflect  on  the  rashness 
of  his  undertaking,  but  ordering  an  immediate  charge, 
rushed  upon  the  protected  savages,  nor  did  he  stop  until 
he  had  seized  the  horses  and  led  them  triumphantly  away. 
In  this  attack  three  of  Carson's  men  were  killed,  but  they 
were  brought  away,  while  five  of  the  Indians  were  slain, 
one  of  whom  was  scalped  by  Carson  himself. 

Shortly  after  this  daring  attack,  Carson  and  Captain 
Yount*  s  men  were  surprised  by  a  force  of  two  hundred 
Crow  Indians,  and  the  fleetness  of  their  horses  alone 
saved  them  from  a  massacre.  The  attack  having  been 
made  after  due  preparation  by  the  Indians,  they  pos- 
sessed all  the  advantages,  not  only  in  numbers,  but 
also  in  effective  fighting.  No  other  recourse  was  there- 
fore left  Capt.  Yount' s  party  but  to  retreat  and  trust  to 
the  fleetness  of  their  horses  for  escape.  The  flight  con- 
tinued under  a  rain  of  arrows  and  bullets  for  nearly  fifty 
miles,  the  Indians  being  determined  to  possess  themselves 
of  the  scalps  and  property  of  the  little  band  of  whites. 
Several  of  the  party  were  killed,  but  Carson  escaped 
with  only  a  slight  wound.  Had  all  the  Indians  been 
armed  with  rifles  not  one  of  the  men  would  have  escaped, 
but  being  able  to  keep  a  considerable  distance  in  advance 
of  their  pursuers,  the  range  was  too  great  for  the  effec- 
tive use  of  arrows,  and  the  few  rifles  the  Indians  pos- 
sessed did  all  the  execution. 


LIFE  OF  KIT  CAKSON.  469 


CHAPTER  n. 

EARLT  in  the  spring  of  1832  Captain  Yo ant's  party  hav- 
ing met  with  little  success  during  the  past  season,  Car- 
son decided  to  begin  trapping  on  his  own  account.  He 
therefore  settled  with  the  Captain,  but  before  starting  for 
the  new  trapping  grounds  two  others  connected  with  Cap- 
tain Yount  expressed  their  desire  to  accompany  him, 
Mrhich  companionship  Carson  gladly  accepted.  The  three 
proceeded  up  the  streams  into  Colorado — or  what  is  now 
known  as  Colorado — where  they  found  the  beaver  more 
abundant,  and  there  pursued  their  labors  with  consider- 
able profit  for  nearly  a  year.  Returning  to  Taos  with 
their  furs  they  sold  out  to  much  advantage,  and  imme- 
diately afterward  Carson  joined  Capt.  Lee  in  an  expedi- 
tion up  Green  river. 

Capt.  Lee's  company  consisted  of  thirty  trappers  un- 
der the  direction  of  an  old  mountaineer  named  Robideau. 
This  experienced  trapper  had  engaged  the  services  of  a 
young  California  Indian  as  a  guide  and  interpreter,  such 
native  assistant  being  rendered  necessary  by  the  hostile 
character  of  roving  Indians  which  the  trappers  were  con- 
stantly meeting. 

In  the  following  October,  1833,  while  the  party  was 
encamped  on  a  tributary  of  Green,  river  and  meeting  with 
much  success  catching  both  beaver  and  otter,  the  young 
Indian  guide  contrived  to  clandestinely  secure  six  of  the 
best  horses  belonging  to  the  company,  and  made  his  es- 
cape. The  theft  was  soon  discovered,  and  Kit  Carson, 
who  had  now  become  a  renowned  "  thief  -catcher,"  was 
deputed  to  recover  the  stolen  animals. 

The  thieving  red  skin  having  had  several  hours  the 
start,  and  Carson  being  little  acquainted  with  the  country, 


470  HEKOES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

he  procured  the  services  of  a  Utah  Indian  to  assist  him  ia 
tracing  the  figitive. 

The  trail  was  not  definitely  determined  until  the  second 
day  after  Kit  and  his  companion  had  started  out,  but 
once  they  became  certain  of  the  discovery  the  speed  at 
which  their  pursuit  was  conducted,  after  one  hundred 
miles  had  been  made,  disabled  the  Utah  Indian's  horse  so 
that  he  could  proceed  no  further,  and  being  unwilling  to 
accompany  Kit  on  foot,  returned  again  to  the  camp  of 
his  tribe.  Carson,  however,  not  to  be  deterred  in  his  un- 
dertaking, pressed  on  alone  and  after  a  half -day's  further 
ride  discovered  the  thieving  Indian  riding  one  of  the  stolen 
horses  and  leading  the  five  others.  Almost  at  the  same 
moment  that  Carson  sighted  the  Indian  the  fugitive  also 
saw  his  pursuer,  and  a  fight  to  the  death  each  realized  was 
inevitable.  The  Indian,  who  carried  a  rifle  and  was  re- 
garded as  an  excellent  shot,  besides  being  possessed  of 
the  courage  to  make  his  skill  in  an  encounter  most  effec- 
tive, leaped  from  his  horse  and  sought  shelter.  Kit  fully 
comprehended  the  tactics  of  the  Indian,  and  the  distance 
being  great  between  them  he  concluded  to  hazard  a  shot, 
knowing  that  he  could  reload  before  the  Indian  could 
reach  him,  especially  since  he  was  mounted.  Therefore, 
stopping  his  horse,  Kit  drew  a  bead  on  the  Indian  as  he 
was  making  for  a  tree,  and  fired.  The  aim  was  so  perfect 
that  the  thief  fell  forward  dead,  with  a  bullet  through  hid 
body.  This  shot  was  in  a  measure  accidental,  for  the 
distance  was  fully  three  hundred  yards,  and  the  Indian 
being  at  the  time  in  a  brisk  run  the  aim  was  rendered 
more  doubtful. 

The  six  horses  were  recovered  and  returned  to  the 
camp  after  an  absence  of  six  days,  and  for  his  services 
Captain  Lee  and  Robideau  presented  Carson  with  a  large 
quantity  of  peltries,  which  made  the  incident  one  of  groat 
profit  to  him. 


LIFE   OF   KIT    OAKSON.  471 

in  the  following  year,  1834,  Caraon,  in  company  with 
three  excellent  companions,  concluded  to  spend  a  season 
trapping  on  the  Laramie,  a  stream  reputed  to  be  fairly 
alive  with  beaver,  otter  and  mink.  The  expectations  of 
the  party  were  fully  realized  a  few  weeks  later,  when  they 
had  pitched  their  tents  on  the  banks  of  that  clear,  but 
sometimes  doubtful  river.  In  fact  during  all  of  Carson's 
experience  as  a  trapper,  he  never  met  with  success  equal 
to  that  which  he  found  on  the  Laramie. 

On  one  occasion,  while  he  was  acting  as  hunter,  during 
this  most  profitable  season,  to  obtain  a  fresh  supply  of 
meat,  he  met  with  an  adventure  so  full  of  peril  that  he 
never  afterward  entertained  the  least  desire  to  be  similarly 
situated.  Game  of  every  kind  was  very  abundant,  and 
within  a  mile  of  the  camp  he  killed  a  large  elk,  but  as  he 
was  proceeding  to  cut  its  throat,  suddenly  there  appeared, 
coming  toward  him,  a  species  of  game  for  which  he  had 
not  been  hunting.  A  large  grizzly  bear,  one  of  the  most 
ferocious  and  dreadful  denizens  of  North  American  forests, 
moved  by  hunger,  resolved,  apparently,  to  make  the  hun- 
ter its  victim.  Time  was  just  now  very  precious  to  Kit, 
so  that  he  made  all  possible  use  of  his  extremities  in 
reaching  the  nearest  tree,  leaving  his  unloaded  gun  lying 
beside  the  animal  he  had  just  killed.  The  bear,  not  dis- 
covering the  dead  elk,  made  directly  for  Kit,  who  man- 
aged, but  just  how  he  was  never  able  to  tell,  to  ascend  a 
goodly  sized  tree  in  time  to  save  himself  from  the  vora- 
cious maw  of  the  terrible  beast.  But  his  perch  appeared 
decidedly  unsafe,  as  the  bear  would  rear  up  almost  to  the 
limb  on  which  he  was  seated,  opening  its  mighty  jaws 
and  blowing  hot  gusts  of  air  through  teeth  nearly  as  long 
as  a  man's  finger.  At  every  lunge  it  made  Eat  felt  that 
the  bear  would  surely  reach  him,  and  he  would  involun- 
tarily hitch  up  his  legs  while  all  the  flesh  would  crawl  a* 


472 


HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


though  it  were  trying  to  get  on  top  of  his  head.  Grab- 
bing about  for  something  with  which  to  defend  himself, 
he  twisted  off  a  branch  from  the  tree,  and  this  he  dex- 
terously used  in  striking  the  nose  of  the  grizzly  whenever 
it  reached  up  its  head  uncomfortably  close.  This  so  en- 


Treed  by  a  Hungry  Grizzly. 

raged  the  brute  that  it  fell  to  gnawing  the  body  of  the 
toee,  but  being  able  to  make  but  little  impression,  aban- 
doned that  and  began  growling  with  a  fierceness  which 
made  Kit  quake  with  the  most  direful  anticipations. 


LIFE    OF   KIT    CARSON.  473 

The  bear  kept  him  a  prisoner  in  the  tree  until  nearly 
midnight,  when  it  began  to  circle  around  the  spot,  grad- 
ually extending  the  circle  until  it  at  length  scented  the 
dead  elk,  upon  which  it  speedily  gorged  itself,  and  then 
disappeared  in  the  woods.  Kit  got  down  from  his  anxious 
seat  speculating  on  the  probabilities  of  the  bear's  return, 
and  though  every  bone  in  his  body  seemed  to  be  splitting 
from  the  strain  to  which  he  had  been  subjected,  he  nev- 
ertheless made  excellent  speed  toward  the  camp.  His 
comrades  had  become  very  much  alarmed  at  his  pro- 
longed absence,  and  a  safe  return  fully  compensated  them, 
for  their  beaver  supper,  from  which  unsavory  game  they 
had  been  compelled  to  satisfy  their  hunger  in  the  ab- 
sence of  more  desirable  meat. 

After  collecting  several  hundred  valuable  peltries,  Car- 
son and  his  companions  went  to  Santa  Fe,  where  the  pro- 
duct of  their  season's  trapping  was  disposed  of  satisfac- 
torily. But  Kit  did  not  remain  idle  more  than  a  few 
days,  for  he  soon  found  opportunity  of  joining  another 
party  of  fifty  men  bound  for  the  Blackfeet  country,  on 
the  Upper  Missouri.  The  trip  was  a  long  and  tedious 
one,  and  in  the  end  proved  not  only  unprofitable  but  dis- 
astrous to  several  of  the  men,  including  Kit  himself, 
for  they  had  struck  a  country  in  which  none  of  them  had 
ever  been  before,  and  to  add  to  their  other  hardships 
they  had  penetrated  a  section  of  country  held  by  a  tribe 
of  the  most  treacherous  and  cruel  Indians  on  the  fron- 
tier, which  made  eternal  watchfulness  the  price  of  their 
safety. 

Shortly  after  the  encampment  of  the  party  on  Big 
Snake  river,  a  band  of  Blackfeet  stampeded  the  horses 
of  the  whites  and  stole  eighteen  of  their  best  animals. 
Carson,  to  whom  the  whole  company  looked  for  needful 
assistance,  at  once  proposed  pursuit,  and  taking  twenty 


474 


HEBOES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


of  the  best  men  in  the  expedition,  set.  out  after  the 
thieves.  A  heavy  snow  covered  the  ground,  which  made 
the  trail  easy  to  follow  until  on  the  succeeding  night, 
when  another  fall  of  snow  began  to  rapidly  obliterate  the 
tracks.  The  pursuit  was  continued  with  all  possible 
speed  until  the  trail  had  become  so  nearly  extinct  that 
Kit  and  another  experienced  trailer  named  Markland  had 
to  leave  their  horses  from  time  to  time  during  the  night 
and  search  for  the  tracks  by  the  aid  of  small  torches. 


Hunting  the  Trail. 

The  party  rode  for  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles,  the 
latter  half  of  the  journey  being  made  through  extraor- 
dinary difficulties,  before  they  came  in  sight  of  the  In- 
dians. The  thieving  Blackfeet,  numbering  about  forty 
warriors,  discovered  tbeir  pursuers,  but  instead  of  trying 
to  escape,  stopped  and  desired  a  parley  with  the  trappers, 
which,  being  consented  to,  sometime  was  spent  in  speech-- 
making and  pipe-smoking.  The  Indians  declared  that 


LIFE   OF   KIT   CARSON.  475 

they  had  no  intention  of  wronging  the  whites,  and  had 
taken  the  horses  because  they  thought  the  animals  be- 
longed to  the  Snake  Indians,  their  enemies.  But  with 
all  their  protestations  of  friendship,  they  still  refused  to 
deliver  up  the  stolen  animals.  An  attempt  was  then 
made  by  the  trappers  to  take  their  property  by  force, 
which  brought  on  the  fight  which  Kit  had  anticipated. 

The  Indians  were  armed  chiefly  with  bows  and  arrows, 
but  a  few  of  them  had  rifles,  which  they  had  obtained  at 
various  trading  posts.  The  Indians,  therefore,  while 
twice  as  many  in  number  as  the  trappers,  were  not  nearly 
so  well  armed,  and  the  fighting  advantages  were  about 
equal.  Every  man,  red  and  white  alike,  sought  the  pro- 
tection of  trees  and  carried  on  the  battle  with  all  the 
cunning  available.  Carson  and  Markland  were  bosom 
companions  and  fought  from  adjacent  shelters.  It 
chanced  that  they  were  directly  opposed  by  two  swarthy 
warriors,  each  of  whom  was  also  armed  with  a  rifle.  As 
Kit  sought  opportunity  to  fire  at  his  antagonist  he  dis- 
covered another  Indian  in  the  act  of  taking  a  deadly  aim 
at  Markland,  who  was  unconscious  of  his  own  danger. 
Kit  instantly  turned  his  weapon  on  the  Indian  and  shot 
him  dead,  thereby  saving  his  comrade's  life  ;  but  in  this 
commendable  act  he  came  near  sacrificing  his  own  life,  for 
the  Indian  he  had  been  previously  watching  fired,  the 
bullet  striking  Kit  in  the  left  shoulder,  shattering  the 
bone  and  making  a  terrible  wound.  The  fight  contin- 
ued with  unabated  fury  until  nightfall,  when  the  Indians 
drew  off,  taking  their  stolen  property  with  them. 

Carson  was  found  by  his  companions  lying  in  the  snow 
perfectly  conscious,  but  refusing  to  make  any  manifesta- 
tion of  the  great  suffering  he  was  enduring.  He  had 
gathered  his  coat  in  a  lump  at  the  shoulder,  trying  to 
staunch  the  flow  of  blood  which  had  saturated  the  cloth- 


476  HEROES  or  THE  PLAINS. 

ing  on  his  left  side.  The  cold  had  at  last  stopped  the 
ebbing  life  current,  but  not  until  he  was  so  weak  that  it 
became  necessary  to  cany  him  back  over  the  long  route 
and  through  the  deep  snow  to  the  trappers'  camp.  Three 
others  of  the  party  were  killed  and  four  wounded,  but 
those  that  were  injured  were  fortunately  able  to  ride.  It 
was  a  terrible  journey  to  Kit,  but  he  endured  his  suffer- 
ings with  such  fortitude  that  those  who  ministered  to  his 
needs  could  not  comprehend  how  severe  was  the  pain  he 
felt. 

Upon  their  return  to  camp,  Capt.  Bridger  took  thirty 
men  and  started  out  again  after  the  depredating  Black- 
feet,  but  though  he  beat  the  country  for  more  than  a 
week,  he  was  unable  to  find  the  trail,  and  so  returned 
without  accomplishing  anything. 

Soon  after  this  unfortunate  incident  in  the  season  on 
Big  Snake  river,  the  party  left  that  immediate  section 
and  camped  on  Green  river,  where  they  were  joined  by  a 
large  party  of  Frenchmen  and  Canadians  who  were  trap- 
ping for  the  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company.  The  camp,  by 
these  accessions,  numbered  about  one  hundred  men,  a  force 
sufficient  to  afford  some  security  against  hostile  Indians. 

Carson  was  not  long  in  establishing  a  most  favorable 
reputation  among  the  men,  because,  while  some  in  the 
party  knew  how  courageously  he  had  always  deported 
himself  in  moments  of  extreme  peril,  they  all  soon  learned 
that  under  all  circumstances  he  remained  courteous  and 
obliging,  hence  he  was  esteemed  by  all  in  the  party. 

Among  the  number  of  imported  trappers  was  a  large 
Frenchman  named  Shuman  ;  a  man  particularly  fond  of 
bad  whisky,  and  who  delighted  in  bullying  his  companions. 
He  was  rarely  engaged  in  a  fight  himself,  because  his  ar* 
rogant  boasts  had  intimidated  nearly  all  the  men,  but  not 
content  with  his  own  autocratic  domineering,  he  found 


LIFE    OF    KIT   CARSON.  477 

pleasure  in  creating  discord  and  embroiling  comrades. 
On  one  occasion,  while  riding  about  the  camp  with  gun 
in  hand,  Shuman,  among  other  indiscriminate  insults, 
began  a  tirade  of  abuse  directed  against  the  Americans, 
pronouncing  them  scullions  and  chicken-livered  scoun- 
drels, who  merited  nothing  but  threshings  with  hickory 
withes  for  their  cowardice  and  villainy.  This  unprovoked 
language  aroused  the  spirit  of  Carson,  who  stepped  for- 
ward toward  the  boasting  Frenchman  and  said  : 

44 1  am  an  American,  and  no  coward;  but  you  are  a 
vapid  bully,  and  to  show  you  how  Americans  can  punish 
liars,  I'll  fight  you  here  in  any  manner  your  infamous 
heart  may  desire." 

Shuman  fairly  boiled  over  with  rage  at  this  proposi- 
tion from  a  man  so  far  inferior  to  him  in  size ;  besides 
he  had  never  before  had  his  privilege  of  abusing  the  men 
questioned.  He  therefore  replied  : 

"If  you  want  to  be  killed  I  have  no  objections  to 
shooting  you  as  I  would  a  dog.  Get  on  your  horse  and 
fight  me,  starting  at  one  hundred  yards  and  riding  toward 
each  other,  firing  as  we  come  together.  Come  on,  you 
pale-faced  little  scullion !" 

Kit  returned  no  answer  to  this  arrogant  acceptance  of 
his  challenge,  but  mounting  his  horse  he  prepared  for  the 
duel .  The  two  first  rode  apart,  each  divining  the  purpose 
of  the  other,  until  a  proper  distance  was  reached,  when 
they  wheeled  their  horses  as  if  entering  a  race  course 
under  stipulations,  and  rushed  toward  each  other.  The 
entire  camp  was,  of  course,  speedily  apprised  of  the  duel, 
and  every  trapper  came  out  to  witness  the  combat,  the 
sympathies  of  the  men  being  unanimously  with  Carson. 
Shuman  was  an  excellent  rifleman  and  had  trained  him-* 
self  to  fire  from  his  running  horse  by  shooting  buffaloes, 
and  he  therefore  felt  confident  of  putting  a  bullet  through 


478 


HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


the  head  of  his  adversary.  Kit  carried  a  pistol,  but  this 
was  from  choice,  as  he  was  an  expert  with  this  weapon. 
The  two  determined  men  rushed  toward  each  other  like 
the  knights  of  mediaeval  chivalry,  until  within  a  few  yards, 
vrhen  Shuman  raised  himself  in  his  stirrups,  and,  taking 
aim,  fired.  The  bullet  went  so  close  to  the  mark  that  a 
lock  of  Kit's  hair  was  seen  to  fall,  cut  from  above  his 
«ar.  But  the  aim,  though  good,  had  not  dispatched  a  fatal 
messenger,  and  Shuman  was  compelled  to  take  Kit's  fire. 


Carson's  Duel  with  the  Frenchman. 


The  smoke  from  the  Frenchman's  rifle  was  stilt  rolling 
away  over  his  head  when  Carson  presented  his  pistol 
almost  as  the  heads  of  the  two  horses  came  together,  and 
saluted  his  enemy.  The  ball  struck  Shuman  in  the  hand, 
and  passing  upward  in  the  arm,  lodged  near  the  elbow. 
Though  not  fatal,  the  wound  was  suificient  to  thoroughly 
humble  the  desperado,  and  so  change  his  disposition  as 
to  eliminate  all  braggadocio  from  his  character. 


LIFE   OF   KIT    CARSON.  479 


CHAPTER  IK. 

SOON  after  this  incident  the  party  of  trappers  returned 
to  New  Mexico,  and  there  Carson  joined  Capt.  McCoy, 
who  was  outfitting  for  another  expedition  to  the  Yellow- 
stone, in  the  Blackfeet  country.  This  party,  consisting 
of  a  dozen  rneu,  upon  arriving  at  the  Yellowstone,  found 
no  signs  of  either  beaver  or  otter ;  so  breaking  camp, 
they  set  out  to  hunt  a  stream  affording  reasonable  expec- 
tations for  success.  They  continued  to  travel  through  a 
country  supporting  nothing  but  artemesia,  which  barely 
subsisted  their  horses,  until  all  their  provisions  were 
exhausted  and  starvation  seriously  threatened  the  whole 
party. 

Day  after  day  went  by  and  still  neither  game  nor  grass 
roots  could  be  found  until  at  length  they  were  reduced  to 
such  dreadful  extremities  that  to  prevent  death  from  star- 
vation they  bled  their  horses  and  drank  the  blood.  Hap- 
pily, when  it  was  decided  to  kill  one  of  the  horses  for  its 
flesh,  a  body  of  Snake  Indians  appeared,  from  whom  a  fat 
pony  was  purchased  and  this  the  party  killed  and  subsist- 
ed upon  until  they  reached  Ft.  Hall 

After  a  rest  of  several  days  Carson,  McCoy  and  the 
other  members  of  the  party  equipped  themselves  for  an- 
other trapping  expedition,  this  time  intending  to  plant 
their  traps  on  Green  river,  but  on  arriving  at  that  stream 
another  party  of  nearly  one  hundred  men  was  found 
who,  meeting  with  no  success,  were  preparing  to  leave 
for  the  head  waters  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  if  finding  no 
game  there  had  arranged  to  follow  up  to  the  Missouri 
river  sources. 

A  consolidation  was  made  between  the  two  parties,  who 
now  selected  Carson  and  Mr.  Fontenelle  as  their  leaders. 


480  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

This  union  of  forces  was  made  more  as  a  precaution  against 
the  Blackfeet  Indians,  who  were  very  numerous  and  Tin- 
dictive  in  the  Yellowstone  country. 

The  winter,  which  was  very  severe,  was  passed  among 
the  Crow  Indians,  who  were  well  provided  with  large 
lodges  made  of  buffalo  hides  ;  some  of  these  were  twenty 
feet  in  diameter  with  an  opening  at  the  top  which  served 
as  a  chimney  to  permit  the  smoke  from  the  fire  inside  to 
escape.  But  it  was  difficult  to  provide  food  for  the  trap- 
pers' horses,  owing  to  a  deep  snow  which  covered  the 
ground  during  the  entire  winter.  It  was  necessary  to 
feed  their  horses  on  bark  stripped  from  cotton  wood  trees, 
and  twigs  of  willow,  a  collection  of  which  involved  almost 
constant  work. 

When  spring  appeared  the  trappers  started  out  to  be- 
gin operations,  but  their  first  attempts  were  discovered 
by  the  Blackfeet,  who,  though  greatly  reduced  in  num- 
bers by  small-pox  which  had  raged  among  them  during 
the  winter,  were  still  a  powerful  tribe.  Carson,  with 
forty  men,  was  attacked  at  their  traps  and  it  was  only  by 
the  most  desperate  fighting  that  they  saved  themselves 
from  annihilation.  The  Indians  were  kept  in  check  until 
the  trappers'  ammunition  was  almost  exhausted,  when  a 
retreat  was  made  back  toward  the  camp.  During  this 
movement  a  horse  bearing  one  of  the  trappers  stumbled 
and  fell  in  such  a  manner  that  the  rider  was  caught  and 
held  to  the  earth  by  the  weight  of  the  animal.  Five  In- 
dians immediately  jumped  forward  to  scalp  the  unlucky 
rider ;  seeing  which  Carson  wheeled  back  to  the  aid  of 
his  comrade.  He  shot  the  foremost  Indian  and  held  the 
others  at  bay  until  the  trapper  was  released,  and  being 
taken  up  behind  Carson  the  two  escaped. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  other  trappers,  who  had  gone 
off  in  a  southeasterly  direction  to  place  their  traps,  heai> 


LIFE    OF    KIT    CARSON. 


481 


ing  the  firing,  ran  to  the  rescue  of  Carson's  party.  With 
a,  fresh  supply  of  ammunition  and  reinforced  by  sixty 
men,  Carson  turned  on  the  Indians  and  the  fight  was  re- 
newed with  great  earnestness  by  both  sides.  The  Indians 


Kit  Carson  Saves  his  Fallen  Comrade. 


were  at  last  defeated  with  a  loss  of  so  many  of  their 
warriors  that  they  beat  a  retreat  and  never  afterward 
molested  the  victorious  trappers. 


482  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

After  prosecuting  their  operations  for  two  months,  a 
large  number  of  peltries  were  secured,  and  the  expedi- 
tion then  broke  camp  and  repaired  to  the  trading  post  OD 
Nend  River,  where  the  skins  were  sold  at  a  large  profit. 

Carson's  next  enterprise  was  in  trapping  for  beaver  on 
the  streams  flowing  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  into  Great 
Salt  Lake.  He  took  with  him  only  a  single  companion, 
believing  he  could  operate  more  successfully  without  be- 
ing restricted  by  the  limitations  of  a  large  party,  as  the 
Utah  Indians  regarded  him  with  friendly  feelings  but  op- 
posed the  invasion  of  their  territory  by  any  considerable 
number  of  white  men. 

It  was  while  trapping  in  this  section  that  he  met  with 
an  adventure  of  a  truly  thrilling  character.  He  was 
walking  along  the  bank  of  a  stream  where  many  of  his 
traps  were  set,  while  his  companion  was  back  in  camp  pre- 
paring supper.  Carson  had  a  large  rifle  with  him,  as  was 
his  custom,  and  seeing  a  turkey  strutting  along  a  few 
yards  in  advance,  was  preparing  to  shoot  it  when  his  at- 
tention was  directed  to  a  pair  of  fierce  eyes  gleaming  from 
out  the  roots  of  a  great  tree.  It  was  scarcely  twenty  feet 
away,  and  a  moment's  inspection  convinced  him  that  he 
was  in  the  presence  of  a  powerful  mountain  lion.  To  re- 
treat he  knew  would  have  invited  the  attack  he  felt  was 
about  to  be  made,  so  raising  his  rifle  he  fired,  but  there 
was  such  a  profusion  of  snake-like  roots  surrounding  the 
lion's  body  that  his  shot  resulted  only  in  an  exasperating 
wound,  as  it  struck  the  animal  in  the  left  shoulder.  In 
the  next  instant  the  lion  was  upon  him,  roaring  like  its 
ancestral  kith  of  African  jungles.  Carson  had  no  other 
weapon  now  save  the  large  knife  he  carried,  and  with 
this  he  defended  himself  most  valiantly.  But  the  sharp 
poniard-like  claws  of  the  ferocious  beast  penetrated  his 
flesh  and  cut  like  a  two-edged  sword.  Carson's  shirt 


LIFE    OF   KIT    CARSOX. 


483 


was  ripped  off  him  and  while  he  slashed  with  his  knife 
and  thrust  it  to  the  hilt  time  and  again  in  the  lion's  body, 
the  infuriated  animal  still  fought  with  such  success  that, 
Weakened  by  the  loss  of  so  much  blood,  Carson  was  fair- 


Carson's  Fight  with  a  Mexican  Lion. 

ly  on  the  point  of  yielding.  But  it  is  hard  to  give  up 
life,  and  this  universal  human  feeling  impelled  Kit  to  use 
his  last  energies  in  this  terrible  contest.  Fortune  at  last 
favored  him,  for  the  lion  also  much  exhausted,  fell  under 

29 


484 


HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS 


one  of  Carson's  blows  and  as  it  rolled  onto  its  back  with 
its  dreadful  fangs  still  fastened  in  the  remnants  of  Kit's 
tattered  shirt,  a  plunge  of  the  knife  deep  into  the  ani- 
mal's throat,  severing  its  head  almost  from  the  body,  de- 
termined the  battle  in  Carson's  favor. 

But  the  victory  was  purchased  at  great  expense,  for 
the  wounded  trapper  was  so  overcome  by  the  lacerations 
of  his  flesh  and  sinews  that  he  fainted  and  would  undoubt- 
edly have  died  had  not  his  comrade  in  camp,  alarmed  at 
his  long  absence,  instituted  a  search  which  resulted  in  the 

discovery  of  the  bleeding  and 
unconscious  body  of  his  com- 
panion lying  beside  the  dead 
lion.  Kit  was  carried  back  to 
the  camp  and  given  all  the  care 
that  one  true  and  anxious  com- 
rade can  give  another.  This 
tender  and  excellent  treatment 
renewed  the  life  so  near  ex- 
hausted, and  after  a  month  of 
dangerous  suspension  between 
life  and  death,  Carson  began  to 
recover  rapidly,  and  in  another 
month  was  able  to  renew  his 
labors.  After  returning  from 
his  trapping  expedition  in  Utah, 
which,  despite  his  terrible  fight 
with  the  mountain  lion,  had 
proved  a  profitable  one,  Carson 
returned  to  New  Mexico  and 
there  made  an  engagement  with 
Messrs.  Bent  and  St.  Vrain  to 
hunt  and  supply  the  garrison  at 
It  was  during  this  occupation  that 


Kit  Carson's  Indian  Wife. 

Bent's  Fort  with  incut. 


LIFE   OF   KIT   CARSON.  485 

he  married  an  Indian  girl  belonging  to  the  Comanche  tribe. 
This  union  was  severed  ten  months  after  by  the  singular 
devotion  of  the  Indian  wife,  who,  learning  of  Carson's 
illness  at  Ft.  Hall,  immediately  mounted  a  horse  and  rode 
the  one  hundred  miles  that  separated  her  from  him,  in 
twelve  hours.  This  exertion,  which  was  made  within 
two  weeks  after  she  had  given  birth  to  a  daughter,  brought 
on  fever,  from  which  she  died  in  a  few  days. 

Carson  sincerely  mourned  the  loss  of  his  young  wife, 
who,  though  she  was  an  Indian,  possessed  many  noble 
qualities  of  heart,  not  the  least  being  her  soul-absorbing 
love  for  her  husband. 

The  little  girl  baby  was  well  cared  for  by  a  Mexican 
family,  and  lived  and  grew  under  their  Ipnd  treatment. 
Five  years  after  the  death  of  his  wife  Kit  visited  St. 
Louis,  taking  his  child  with  him  for  the  purpose  of  plac- 
ing her  in  an  educational  institution,  that  she  might  have 
the  advantages  of  excellent  schooling  and  training.  The . 
little  girl  developed  into  a  stately  and  beautiful  woman, 
and  when  twenty  years  of  age  she  married  a  gentleman 
in  St.  Louis,  named  Boggs,  who  is  at  this  time  a  resident 
of  Los  Animos,  Colorado,  where  Kit  Carson,  Jr.,  also 
has  his  handsome  residence. 

When  Carson  arrived  in  St.  Louis,  he  was  received  with 
public  demonstrations  of  delight,  and  there  were  none  too 
great  or  rich  to  pay  him  homage,  as  he  had  long  been  re- 
garded as  "The  Monarch  of  the  Plains." 

At  the  time  of  this  visit  it  chanced  that  Gen.  John  C. 
Fremont  was  in  the  city,  organizing  an  expedition  for 
exploring  that  part  of  the  country  lying  between  Missouri 
and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Although  this  was  his  orig- 
inal intention ,  the  General  made  the  overland  trip  to  Cal- 
ifornia, and  included  in  his  report  all  the  explorations 
along  the  entire  route. 


486  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


.  Fremont  sent  fbr  Carson,  a*  soon  as  the  presence 
of  the  great  trapper  became  known  to  him,  and  a  long  inter- 
view between  them  resulted  in  the  employment  of  Carson 
as  chief  guide  to  the  expedition,  which  left  St.  Louis  by 
steamer  the  22d  day  of  May,  1842.  The  other  members 
of  the  exploring  party  consisted  of  twenty-one  men, 
principally  Creoles,  Charles  Preuso,  first  assistant  in  the 
topographical  survey,  and  Louis  Maxwell,  of  Kaskaskia, 
Illinois,  who  was  engaged  as  hunter. 

The  expedition  disembarked  from  the  steamer  at  the 
mouth  of  Kansas  river,  and  then  struck  across  the  broad 
prairies  of  Kansas  on  to  the  Platte  river,  for  the  explora- 
tion of  which  a  large  rubber  boat  was  carried  with  them, 
which  was  very  useful  on  several  occasions.  From  the 
South  Platte  they  followed  the  Oregon  trail  past  Fort 
Laramie,  and  from  thence  on  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Just  before  leaving  the  Platte,  the  monotony  of  the 
journey  was  relieved  by  a  grand  buffalo  hunt,  which  Gen. 
Fremont  describes  as  follows  : 

1  'As  we  were  riding  quietly  along  the  bank,  a  great 
herd  of  buffalo,  some  seven  or  eight  hundred  in  number, 
came  crowding  up  from  the  river,  where  they  had  been 
to  drink,  and  commenced  crossing  the  plain  slowly,  eat- 
ing as  they  went.  The  wind  was  favorable  ;  the  coolness 
of  the  morning  invited  to  exercise  ;  the  ground  was  ap- 
parently good,  and  the  distance  across  the  praire  (two  or 
three  miles)  gave  us  a  fine  opportunity  to  charge  them 
before  they  could  get  among  the  river  hills.  It  was  too 
fine  a  prospect  for  a  chase  to  be  lost  ;  and  halting  for  a 
few  moments,  the  hunting  horses  were  brought  up  and 
saddled  and  Kit  Carson,  Maxwell  and  I  started  together. 
The  buffaloes  were  now  somewhat  less  than  half  a  mile 
distant,  and  we  rode  easily  along  until  within  about  three 
hundred  yards,  when  a  sudden  agitation,  a  wavery  in  the 


LIFE    OF    KIT    CARSON.  487 

herd,  and  a  galloping  to  and  fro  of  some  which  were 
scattered  along  the  skirts,  gave  us  the  intimation  that  we 
were  discovered.  We  now  started  together  at  a  hard 
gallop,  riding  steadily  abreast  of  each  other,  and  here 
the  interest  of  the  chase  became  so  engrossingly  intense 
that  we  were  sensible  to  nothing  else.  We  were  closing 
upon  them  rapidly,  and  the  front  of  the  mass  was  already 
in  rapid  motion. 

"  A  crowd  of  bulls,  as  usual,  brought  up  the  rear,  and 
tjvery  now  and  then  some  of  them  faced  about,  and  then 
dashed  on  after  the  herd,  and  then  turned  and  looked 
again  as  if  more  than  half  inclined  to  stand  and  fight. 
In  a  few  moments,  however,  during  which  we  had  been 
quickening  our  pace,  the  rout  was  universal,  and  we  were 
going  over  the  ground  like  a  hurricane.  When  at  about 
thirty  yards,  we  gave  the  usual  shout  (the  hunters  pas 
de  charge),  and  broke  into  the  herd.  We  entered  on  the 
side,  the  mass  giving  way  in  every  direction  in  their 
heedless  course.  Many  of  the  bulls,  less  active  and  less 
fleet  than  the  cows,  paying  no  attention  to  the  ground, 
and  occupied  solely  with  the  hunter,  were  precipitated  to 
the  earth  with  great  force,  rolling  over  and  over  with  the 
violence  of  the  shock,  and  hardly  distinguishable  in  the 
dust.  We  separated  on  entering  the  herd,  each  singling 
out  his  own  game. 

"My  horse  was  a  trained  hunter,  famous  in  tke  West 
under  the  name  of  Provean,  and  with  his  eyes  flashing, 
and  the  foam  flying  from  his  mouth,  sprang  on  after  the 
cow  I  was  pursuing  like  a  hungry  tiger.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments he  brought  me  alongside  of  her,  and  rising  in  the 
stirrups,  I  fired  at  the  distance  of  a  yard,  the  ball  enter- 
ing at  the  termination  of  the  long  hair,  and  passing  near 
the  heart.  She  fell  headlong  at  the  report  of  the  gun, 
and,  checking  my  horse,  I  looked  around  for  my  com- 
panions- 


488  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

*  *  At  a  little  distance  Kit  was  on  the  ground  engaged  in 
tying  his  horse  to  the  horns  of  a  cow,  which  he  was  pre- 
paring to  cut  up.  Among  the  scattered  bands  at  some 
distance  below  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  Maxwell,  and  while 
I  was  looking  a  light  wreath  of  white  smoke  curled  away 
from  his  gun,  from  which  I  was  too  far  to  hear  the  re- 
port. Nearer  and  between  me  and  the  hills  was  the  body 
of  the  herd,  and  giving  my  horse  the  reins  we  dashed  after 
them.  A  thick  cloud  of  dust  hung  upon  their  rearwhich 
filled  my  mouth  and  eyes  and  nearly  smothered  me.  In 
the  midst  of  this  I  could  see  nothing  and  the  buffaloes 
were  not  distinguishable  until  within  thirty  feet. 

1 1  They  crowded  together  more  densely  still  as  I  came 
upon  them  and  rushed  along  in  such  a  compact  body  that 
I  could  not  obtain  an  entrance — the  horse  almost  leaping 
upon  them.  In  a  few  moments  the  mass  divided  to  the 
right  and  left,  the  horns  clattering  with  a  noise  above  ev- 
erything else,  and  my  horse  darted  into  the  opening. 

"  Five  or  six  bulls  charged  on  us  as  we  dashed  along 
the  line,  but  were  left  far  behind,  and  singling  out  a  cow 
I  gave  her  my  fire,  but  struck  too  high.  She  gave  a  tre- 
mendous leap  and  scoured  on  swifter  than  before.  1 
reined  up  my  horse  and  the  band  swept  on  like  a  torrent 
and  left  the  place  quiet  and  clear.  Our  chase  had  led  us 
into  dangerous  ground,  a  prairie-dog  village,  so  thickly 
settled  that  there  were  three  or  four  holes  in  every  twen^ 
ty  yards  square,  occupying  the  whole  bottom  for  nearly 
two  miles  in  length." 

While  Gen.  Fremont  was  making  his  second  attack  on 
the  herd,  Carson  left  the  buffalo  which  he  had  killed  and 
partly  cut  up  to  pursue  a  large  bull  that  came  rushing  by 
him  alone.  He  chased  the  game  for  nearly  a  quarter  of 
a  mile,  not  being  able  to  gain  rapidly  owing  to  the  blown 
condition  of  his  horse.  Coming  up  at  length  to  the  side 


LITE    OF    KIT    CARSON. 


489 


of  the  fleeing  buffalo  Carson  fired,  but  at  the  same  instant 
his  horse  stepped  into  a  prairie-dog  hole,  going  down  and 
throwing  Kit  over  his  head  fully  fifteen  feet.  The  bullet 
struck  the  buffalo  low  under  the  shoulder,  which  only 


Carson  and  the  Wounded  Buffalo. 


served  to  so  enrage  him  that  the  next  moment  the  infuri- 
ated animal  was  pursuing  Kit,  who,  fortunately  not  much 
hurt,  was  able  to  run  toward  the  river.  It  was  a  race  for  li/« 


490  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

now,  Carson  using  his  nimble  heels  to  the  utmost  of  their 
capacity,  accelerated  very  much  by  the  thundering,  bel- 
lowing bull  bringing  up  the  rear.  For  several  minutes  it 
was  nip  and  tuck  which  should  reach  the  Platte  river  first, 
but  Kit  got  there  by  a  scratch  a  little  in  advance.  It  was 
a  big  stream,  and  deep  water  under  the  bank,  but  heavens  ! 
it  was  paradise  indeed  compared  with  the  hades  plunging 
at  his  back,  so  Kit  leaped  into  the  water  trusting  to  Prov- 
idence that  the  bull  would  not  follow.  The  trust  was 
well  placed  for  the  bull  did  not  continue  the  piirsuit,  but 
itood  on  the  bank  and  shook  his  fists — head — vehemently 
at  the  struggling  hunter,  who  preferred  deep  w.iv®*  to  ti^ 
horns  of  a  dilemma  on  shore. 

Kit  swam  around  for  some  time,  careful ly  guarded  by 
the  bull,  until  hia  position  was  observed  by  Maxwell,  who 
attacked  the  belligerent  animal  successfully  with  a  No.  4i 
slug,  and  then  Kit  crawled  out  and — skinned  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CARSON  continued  with  Fremont  until  the  expedition  re- 
turned to  Laramie,  after  Fremont's  ascent  to  the  summit 
of  the  loftiest  peak  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  range.  Upon 
leaving  the  expedition  Carson  returned  to  New  Mexico, 
where,  in  1843,  he  contracted  a  second  marriage,  espous- 
ing a  Mexican  lady,  with*whom  he  lived  happily  for  many 
years,  and  who  gave  him  two  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl, 
the  former,  Kit  Carson,  Jr.,  reaching  manhood,  but  the 
daughter  died  while  young. 

Carson  engaged  his  services  again  to  Bent  &  St.  Yrain, 
for  whom  he  hunted  and  acted  as  courier,  until,  learning 


LIFE    OF   KIT    CARSON.  491 

that  Fremont  had  started  out  on  a  second  expedition  of 
exploration,  and  was  within  two  days'  journey  of  Ft. 
Bent,  he  decided  to  visit  him.  When  Carson  came  into 
General — then  Lieutenant — Fremont's  presence,  the  lat- 
ter, after  greeting  him  with  great  warmth,  said  : 

"Carson,  you  are  the  man,  of  all  others,  I  am  most 
delighted  to  see.  If  I  had  known  your  address  I  should 
certainly  have  communicated  my  desire  to  have  you  ac- 
company me  on  the  present  expedition  ;  but  since  I  ana 
so  fortunate  as  to  meet  you  at  my  camp,  your  services,  I 
trust,  will  be  given  me." 

Carson  had  not  thought  of  accompanying  Fremont, 
but  being  offered  a  good  salary,  he  gave  his  consent. 
First  returning  to  Ft.  Bent  for  a  number  of  mules,  which 
Fremont  required,  he  came  back  to  the  rendezvous,  after 
which,  heading  the  cavalcade,  the  expedition  moved 
westward  for  the  Sacramento  Valley. 

On  the  21st  of  August,  1844,  the  party  of  hardy  ad- 
venturers reached  Bear  river,  and  descending  that  stream 
twenty  miles,  they  came  upon  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  which 
Fremont,  in  company  with  Carson  and  two  other  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition,  circumnavigated  in  their  rubber 
boat.  From  this  point  the  journey  was  continued  until 
Nez  Perce  was  reached,  which  was  a  trading  post  estab- 
lished by  the  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company  in  Northern 
California.  This  was  the  western  limit  of  Fremont's 
journey,  as  at  this  point  a  connection  was  made  with 
Commander  Wilkes,  who  had  completed  the  survey  east- 
ward from  San  Francisco.  « 

After  a  rest  of  several  days,  Fremont  sent  Carson  to 
the  Dalles,  with  instructions  to  prepare  a  number  of 
pack-saddles,  blankets,  provisions  and  other  things  need- 
ful for  a  long  expedition  during  the  winter,  having  deter- 
mined to  start  back  upon  his  return  journey  at  once. 


492  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  was  now  almost  mid- 
winter, the  bold  explorer  had  decided  to  pass  through  a 
new  section  of  country,  thereby  adding  to  his  discover- 
ies, upon  the  return.  He  therefore  chose  a  route  which 
would  take  him,  first,  to  Tlamath  Lake,  and  from  there 
by  a  southeast  course  to  the  Great  Basin  ;  thence  to  the 
Buenaventura  river,  and  from  thence  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, at  the  headwaters  of  the  Arkansas,  .and  then 
strike  Bent's  Fort,  from  which  place  the  government 
trail  would  betaken  for  St.  Louis. 

This  projected  route  for  the  return  journey,  or  at  least 
a  greater  portion  of  it,  was  practically  h  rra  incognita  to 
white  men,  and  therefore  concealed  obstacles  which  put 
to  the  severest  test  man's  powers  of  endurance. 

The  entire  party  consisted  of  twenty-five  persons,  com- 
prising six  distinct  nationalities,  several  of  them  being 
under  age,  one  of  whom,  a  son  of  Hon.  Thos.  H.  Ben- 
ton,  was  only  a  lad.  Hut  provision  having  been  made, 
the  journey  Avas  begun  about  the  latter  part  of  Decem- 
ber with  light  hearts  and  joyous  anticipations.  T\\<> 
Indian  guides  were  engaged  at  Vancouver's  to  conduct 
the  party  through  to  Tlamath  Lake,  which  proved  to  be 
only  a  shallow  basin  containing  a  little  water  when 
the  snows  were  melting  during  spring-time.  From  this 
lake  they  started  for  Mary's  Lake  without  any  guide 
save  the  compasses  they  carried.  This  journey  brought 
them  into  a  land  of  desolation,  in  which  several  perished 
from  cold  and  starvation,  their  park  animals  were  lost,  and 
progress  made  only  by  carving  a  highway  through  snow 
often  twenty  feet  in  depth.  But  as  Gen.  Fremont  has 
himself  graphically  described  the  perils  and  terrible 
hardships  of  this  expedition  while  searching  for  Mary's 
Lake  and  Buenaventura  river,  it  is  useless  to  repeat  the 
incidents  of  the  expedition  here. 


LIFE    OF    KIT    CARSON.  493 

Fort  Sutter  was  not  reached  until  the  6th  of  March, 
at  which  time  the  horses  belonging  to  the  expedition  had 
been  reduced  from  sixty-seven  to  thirty-three,  from  which, 
and  considering  the  men  who  died  and  were  lost,  the  terri- 
ble, almost  unparalleled  sufferings  of  the  men  in  this  unfor- 
tunate expedition  may  be  approximated  by  the  reader. 
Those  of  the  party  who  reached  Sutter  were  so  reduced 
by  privations  they  had  suffered  on  the  dreary  route  that 
each  man  was  little  more  than  an  animate  skeleton  of 
skin  and  bone,  and  their  horses  were  so  poor  and  weak 
that  not  one  could  bear  the  burden  of  a  rider,  so  that 
they  had  to  be  led. 


CHAPTER  V. 

UPON  returning  from  thi:  second  expedition,  Carson 
again  settled  at  Taos,  and  in  the  spring  of  1845  was  com- 
pleting arrangements  with  a  partner  named  Owens  to 
start  a  sheep  ranche.  But  before  he  became  fully  en- 
gaged in  raising  sheep,  Fremont  had  projected  a  third 
expedition,  and  for  the  third  time  called  for  Carson's 
services.  The  two  had  become  warmly  attached  to  each 
other  on  their  previous  trips  together,  and  an  admiration 
for  Fremont  influenced  Carson  to  again  follow  his  old 
commander. 

The  journey  of  this  last  expedition  lay  through  the 
same  country  over  which  they  had  passed  previously,  but 
while  there  was  no  lack  of  suffering  on  this  trip  the  par- 
ty experienced  few  trials  to  be  compared  with  those  met 
with  before.  After  reaching  Sutter 's  Fort  the  expedi- 
tion recruited  and  marched  toward  Monterey,  but  were  met 


494 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


m  route  by  Gen.  Castro  at  the  head  of  foui 
icans,  who  opposed  Fremont's  further  progress  and  order- 
ed his  immediate  return.  Although  Fremont  had  but  for- 
ty men,  each  one  had  been  tried  in  the  crucible  of  hard 
experience  and  knew  how  to  meet  any  opposition,  so  by 
skillful  tactics  they  evaded  Castro  and  moved  oil  to  Monte- 


Scene  in  Taos,  N.  M. 

rey,  where  there  were  a  number  of  Americans  ready  to  join 
them,  appreciating  the  probabilities  of  a  war  between  Mex- 
ico and  the  United  States,  which  was  then  being  prepared 
for. 

Very  soon  after  this  the  war  tocsin  was  sounded,  and 


LIFE   OF   KIT    CARSON.  495 

.  Fremont,  with  Carson  as  his  first  lieutenant,  was  duly  en- 
listed for  the  fray,  in  which  they  contested  with  com- 
mendable valor  and  made  their  power  felt  throughout 
California. 

In  1847  Carson  was  sent  overland  as  the  bearer  of  dis- 
patches from  Fremont  for  Washington,  but  after  proceed- 
ing eight  hundred  miles  on  the  journey  he  met  Lieutenant 
Gillespie,  of  the  United  States  marines,  who  had  been 
despatched  from  Washington  for  the  slope  with  thirty 
men.  At  the  Lieutenant'?  request  Carson's  dispatches 
were  entrusted  to  a  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  for  transmission  and 
he  returned  with  Gillespie  as  guide  to  California.  Camp- 
ing one  night  on  an  island  in  Salt  Lake,  the  little  party 
was  surprised  and  attacked  by  a  party  of  Tlamath  In- 
dians, who  brained  five  of  the  men  with  tomahawks  as 
they  lay  asleep,  one  of  the  victims  at  the  time  lying  be- 
side Carson.  After  being  aroused  the  remainder  of  the 
men  attacked  the  Indians  vigorously  and  repulsed  them 
with  a  loss  of  twelve  warriors. 

When  Carson  reached  California  again,  Fremont 
had  attracted  to  his  standard  a  body  of  two  hundred 
Americans,  and  at  Sonoma  had  declared  the  independence 
of  the  territory,  and  adopted  the  Bear  Flag,  which  was  ten- 
dered to  Commodore  Sloat,  who  raised  the  united  flags 
over  the  camp. 

Soon  after  this  Fremont  was  appointed  Governor  of 
California,  and  Carson  was  again  sent  to  Washington 
with  dispatches  apprising  the  Government  of  the  situa- 
tion on  the  slope.  He  performed  this  journey  in  sixty 
days,  and  then  hastened  his  return  to  the  field  of  action. 

While  a  squad  of  Fremont's  men  were  maneuvering 
thirty  miles  from  San  Diego,  they  were  surrounded  by  a 
large  party  of  Mexicans,  who  cut  off  their  retreat  and 
threatened  the  little  party' s  annihilation .  The  Americans 


496  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 

took  position  in  a  clump  of  timber,  and  there  resisted 
attack  until  hope  seemed  exhausted.  When  night  ap- 
proached, Carson  addressed  the  men,  declaring  that  the 
only  possible  means  for  their  escape  lay  in  the  possibility 
of  communicating  with  the  forces  at  San  Diego  and  secur- 
ing their  assistance.  But  this  plan  seemed  anything  but 
feasible,  as  the  Mexicans  had  established  a  complete  cor- 
don around  the  American  squad  and  any  attempt  to  break 
through  the  lines  would  certainly  be  detected.  After 
counciling  with  the  men  for  some  time  on  the  hopeless- 
ness of  their  situation,  Carson  volunteered  to  make  the 
attempt  at  establishing  communication  with  San  Diego, 
and  in  this  effort  Lieutenant  Beale  offered  to  accompany 
him.  The  two  therefore  started  out  at  midnight,  and 
crawling  on  their  hands  and  knees,  they  approached  the 
first  line  of  guards  without  detection.  Their  shoes  were 
then  removed  to  prevent  noise,  and  again  they  resumed 
their  perilous  progress,  over  rocks  and  through  briars, 
each  step  lacerating  their  feet,  and  the  breaking  of 
each  twig  exciting  the  gravest  fears  of  discovery. 
But  the  outlying  posts  were  passed,  and  then  they 
made  all  possible  haste  for  San  Diego,  which  was 
reached  shortly  after  daylight.  The  sufferings  of  this 
journey  were  so  acute  that  Lieutenant  Beale  was  for  sev- 
eral days  deranged  from  the  effects,  and  did  not  recover 
his  usual  physical  health  until  two  years  had  elapsed. 
Carson's  feet  were  so  badly  torn  and  bruised  that  for  a 
time  amputation  seemed  necessary,  and  he  was  unable  to 
walk  again  for  nearly  two  months.  But  the  object  of 
their  mission  was  accomplished,  Commodore  Stockton 
sending  relief  forward,  which  arrived  barely  in  time  to 
save  the  Americans  from  massacre. 

After  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war  Carson  and  his 
old  friend  Maxwell  settled  in  the  beautiful  Rayedo  valley, 


LIFE    OF   KIT    CARSON.  497 

fifty  miles  from  Taos,  where  they  each  erected  substan- 
tial and  ornamental  residences,  at  which  point  there  is 
still  a  thriving  settlement.  It  was  while  living  here  in 
1853  that  Carson  received  his  appointment  as  Indian 
agent  for  New  Mexico,  which  position  he  qualified  for  by 
filing  the  necessary  bonds  and  entered  upon  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  as  a  true  almoner  of  the  Government's  boun- 
ty to  the  Indians.  His  administration  was  characterized 
by  wisdom  and  exact  justice,  for  which  he  received  uni- 
versal credit  by  his  wards  and  all  the  citizens  of  New 
Mexico. 

In  1863  Gen.  James  H.  Carlton  directed  the  formation 
of  a  New  Mexican  Brigade,  of  which  Carson  was  made 
Brigadier  General,  and  in  this  capacity  he  continued  his 
excellent  services  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  life  of  this  noted  hunter  and  plainsman  closed  on 
the  23d  day  of  May,  1868,  at  Ft.  Lyon,  Colorado,  the 
immediate  cause  of  his  death  being  the  rupture  of  a  large 
artery  in  the  neck.  Only  a  few  months  previous  to  the 
termination  of  his  active  career,  he  had  visited  Washing- 
ton on  some  important  business  connected  with  the  Indian 
Department  in  New  Mexico,  and  at  the  solicitation  of  the 
various  trades  bodies  in  cities  along  his  route,  he  stopped 
at  many  of  the  important  towns  to  receive  the  homage  of 
an  admiring  people.  Everywhere  along  the  line  of  his 
travel  flags  were  flying  and  salvos  of  cannon  proclaimed 
with  what  estimation  he  was  regarded  by  the  American 
people. 

When  his  will  was  opened  several  days  after  his  death, 
a  clause  was  found  in  which  he  bequeathed  his  trusty  old 
rifle,  one  he  had  carried  through  all  the  stirring  events  of 
his  thirty-five  years  of  plains  life,  to  Montezuma  Lodge, 
A,  F.  and  A.  M.,  at  Santa  F«. 


CAPT.    D.    L.    PAYNE, 
(The  Cimanxm  Scout.) 


LIFE  OF  OAPT.  D.  L.  PAYNE, 

THE  CIMARRON  SCOUT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HON.  DAVID  L.  PAYNE,  generally  known  throughout 
the  West  as  Capt.  Payne,  of  the  Oklahoma  Colony  Co.t 
was  born  in  Grant  county,  Indiana,  December  30,  1836. 
Being  a  lover  of  hunting  and  adventurous  sports,  in  the 
spring  of  1858,  in  company  with  his  brother,  he  started 
West  with  the  intention  of  engaging  in  the  Mormon  war 
which  was  at  that  time  creating  a  furore  of  excitement 
throughout  the  country,  and  especially  in  the  West. 
Beaching  Doniphan  county,  Kansas,  he  found  the  excite- 
ment somewhat  abating,,  and  inducements  offering,  he 
concluded  to  pre-empt  a  body  of  land  and  erect  a  saw 
mill.  This  investment,  while  the  prospects  had  appeared 
decidedly  flattering,  nevertheless  proved  a  most  unfortu- 
nate speculation,  and  Payne  soon  found  himself  destitute 
of  means.  He  had  resources,  however,  which  could  not 
be  readily  expended,  and  his  courageous  heart  and  crav- 
ing for  adventure  soon  afforded  him  occupation  of  a  most 
congenial  character. 

At  the  time  of  Payne's  settlement  in  Doniphan  county 
that  now  fertile  and  thickly  populated  section  was  the 
grazing  grounds  for  vast  herds  of  buffalo,  deer,  wolves 
and  other  wild  animals  peculiar  to  the  plains.  These  he 

M       <» 


500  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

hunted  with  much  success  and  gratification,  gradually  ex- 
tending  his  occupation  south  west  wardly  until  he  had  pen- 
etrated the  Magillon  mountains  of  New  Mexico,  explored 
the  course  of  the  Cimarron  river  of  the  Indian  Territory, 
and  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  topography 
of  the  great  Southwest.  He  naturally  drifted  from  hunt- 
ing to  scouting,  and  thenceforward  he  was  engaged  con- 
tinually by  either  the  Government  or  private  expeditions, 
becoming  the  comrade  of  all  the  distinguished  guides , 
trappers  and  hardy  characters  of  pioneer  life.  His  inti- 
macy with  Kit  Carson,  Wild  Bill,  Buffalo  Bill,  California 
Joe,  Gen.  Custer,  and  many  others  with  national  reputa- 
tions, approached  comradeship. 

When  the  civil  war  broke  out,  Payne  was  one  of  the 
first  to  volunteer  his  services,  being  placed  in  the  Fourth 
regiment,  which  was  subsequently  consolidated  with  the 
Third,  and  shortly  afterward  the  two  were  joined  with 
the  Tenth  regiment.  He  served  three  years  as  a  private, 
refusing  in  the  time  of  his  service  six  different  tenders  of 
commissions.  At  the  expiration  of  his  three-year  term 
he  returned  to  Doniphau  county,  and  in  the  fall  of  1864 
he  was  elected  to  the  Kansas  Legislature,  serving  in  the 
session  of  1864-65,  during  which,  while  never  courting 
the  part  of  an  orator,  his  influence  was  pronounced.  At 
the  close  of  the  Legislature  he  again  volunteered  as  a 
substitute  for  a  poor  neighbor  who  had  been  drafted  and 
whose  care  for  a  household  full  of  children  was  such  that 
leaving  them  they  would  have  been  dependent  upon  the 
chanty  of  the  neighborhood.  Payne,  upon  his  re-enlist- 
ment, assisted  in  recruiting  a  company  for  Gen.  Han- 
cock's corps  of  veterans,  and  succeeded  in  enlisting  one 
hundred  and  nine  men,  all  hardy  Westerners,  who  were 
devotedly  attached  to  him.  Again  Payne  refused  to  ac- 
cept a  commission,  preferring  to  remain  a  private  com- 
rade with  his  friends. 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.  PAYNE  501 

The  division  to  which  Payne  was  attached  was  detailed 
for  duty  at  Washington  City  and  their  service  was  little 
more  than  a  strict  observance  of  methodical  military 
punctilios.  Every  man  was  provided  with  white  gloves, 
nobby  uniforms  resplendent  with  brilliant  buttons,  highly 
polished  boots,  and  their  guns  were  required  to  shine 
like  the  armor  of  de  Abigail,  the  ladies'  knight-errant. 

After  engaging  in  this  elegant  body  service  for  a  few 
months  the  division  was  ordered  to  Trenton,  N.  J.,  where 
during  a  few  days  stay  the  following  humorous  incident 
took  place  :  Being  called  out  for  inspection  one  morn- 
ing, every  man  radiant  with  his  bright  regimentals,  a 
Dutch  captain  named  Schmit  was  found  to  be  inspecting 
officer,  contrary  to  expectations .  This  fellow,  clothed  with 
a  brief  authority  and  fierce  moustache,  but  without  the 
external  dress  of  a  fancy  officer,  marched  up  in  front  of 
Payne's  company  with  his  breast  thrown  out  like  a  Dutch 
tobacco  sign,  and  exclaimed,  "  One,  two,  tree! — front! 
right  dress  I ' '  executing  the  movements  with  a  precision 
as  if  each  was  regulated  by  a  vast  system  of  clock-work 
inside  the  ample  profundity  of  his  naturally  large  abdo- 
men. Extending  his  ungloved  hands,  the  officer  received 
Payne's  highly  polished  gun  and  began  the  inspection, 
when  he  was  astonished  to  hear  himself  addressed  in  the 
following  undignified  manner.  Said  Payne  : 

"  I'd  rather  you   wouldn't   handle   that  gun  without 
gloves." 

Turning  as  though  he  had  been  stuck  sharply  with  a 
pin  the  Dutchman  hissed  between  his  teeth  : 

"  Vat  you  say,  you  veller  mit  so  much  lip?" 

* '  I  mean  that  I  would  prefer  that  you  would  not  run 
your  big  sweaty  hands  over  that  gun,"  replied  Payne. 

"  Teller  I"  said  the  now  doubly  inflated  Teutonic  repre- 
sentative of  the  Faderland  generalissimo,  "  do  you  know 


502  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAIXS. 

dot  you  vas  speaking  mit  an  officer,  und  dot  I  vill  teach 
you  how  it  vas  yo~u  dalk  like  you  don't  know  some- 
dings." 

"  I  know,"  pleasantly  answered  Payne,  "  that  you  are 
nothing  but  a  d — d  Dutchman,  and  that  I  have  long 
since  learned  how  to  talk  to  such  roaring  nobodies." 

With  a  spring  like  that  of  an  infuriated  bovine,  the 
Dutchman  leaped  toward  Payne,  at  the  same  time  throw- 
ing the  gun  with  such  force  that  it  nearly  knocked  the 
owner  down.  This  so  enraged  Payne  that  he  stepped  out 
of  the  ranks  and  with  the  force  of  a  catupult  let  fly  his 
right  fist  which  caught  the  officer  under  the  chin,  knock- 
ing him  into  the  air  like  a  trounced  frog.  The  Dutchman 
lit  yelling  like  his  Hessian  forefathers  on  the  banks  of 
the  Delaware  a  century  before. 

"For  Got's  sake,  doan  you  kill  your  superior  officer  I 
I'll  haf  you  in  der  gaurd  house  ;  I  make  you  built  a  whole 
fort,  so  help  me  by  gracious  !  Swgent,  arrest  dot  man,  I 
command  you  mit  my  power  !  " 

Thus  the  sorely  distressed  inspecting  officer  cried,  all 
the  time  inspecting  himself  rather  than  proceeding  with 
that  of  the  company. 

The  sergeant  did  undertake  to  arrest  Payne,  but  when 
the  attempt  was  made  the  non-commissioned  officer  used 
his  best  endeavors  to  arrest  himself  in  a  backward  flight 
not  wholly  unlike  that  which  the  Dutchman  had  just  taken. 
Finding  his  hand  now  well  in,  while  the  officer  continued 
a  tirade  of  abuse,  Payne  made  a  second  attack,  and 
catching  the  already  dilapidated  Dutchman  by  the  collar 
and  a  convenient  place  about  his  posterior  middle,  drove 
him  against  the  side  of  a  house  with  such  force  that  the 
beer,  sausage  and  kraut  of  at  least  twelve  months  were 
thoroughly  well  shaken  up. 

Instead  of  attempting  to  rescue  the  unfortunate  officer. 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.  PAYNE.  503 

the  boys  in  the  company  applauded  the  manual  exercise 
with  vociferous  shouts  of,  "  Give  it  to  him!"  "Knock 
the  bung  out  of  his  beer  reservoir!"  "Show  up  the 
kraut  1 "  "  Set  down  on  him  ! "  and  other  tender  expres- 
sions appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

When  the  excitement  had  somewhat  subsided,  the  abject 
and  most  pitiable  appearing  inspecting  officer  was  helped 
to  his  feet,  and  by  painful  persistency  reached  headquar- 
ters. On  the  same  day  Payne  was  arrested  and  placed 
in  the  guard-house,  but  he  managed  first  to  telegraph  his 
predicament  to  Gen.  Tom  Ewing  at  Washington,  who 
was  a  most  intimate  friend,  and  on  the  following  day, 
before  any  trial  was  had,  Ewing  had  influenced  Secretary 
Stanton  to  send  a  pardon,  and  thus  Payne  escaped  any 
punishment  for  humorously,  but  none  tiie  less  ef- 
fectually, drubbing  his  superior. 

About  two  weeks  after  the  incident  just  related,  Payne's 
company  was  ordered  back  to  Washington,  and  after  the 
lapse  of  another  week  he  was  ordered  to  report,  with  a 
letter  to  Gen.  Wenzle,  at  New  York  harbor.  Not  under- 
standing nor  inquiring  what  the  errand  meant,  he  obeyed 
his  instructions  and  was  much  astonished,  after  seeing  the 
General  read  the  letter,  to  hear  himself  addressed  as 
Lieutenant  Payne,  for  he  could  not  divine  why  the  title 
had  been  bestowed. 

Said  he  :  "I  guess  you  are  mistaken,  General.  I  am 
not  a  lieutenant." 

"Well,  then,"  replied  Wenzle,  "this  is  strange;  but 
maybe  you  have  been  sent  to  me  to  go  on  my  yacht.  Are 
you  a  seaman  ? ' ' 

Payne,  though  he  well  knew  his  disqualifications  for  a 
seaman,  nevertheless,  feeling  in  the  humor  for  fun  and 
adventure,  he  promptly  responded  "yes,"  and  being  re- 
quested, he  went  down  and  reported  to  the  captain  of  the 


504  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

yacht.  Now,  thinking  the  joke,  or  misapprehension,  had 
proceeded  far  enough,  he  plainly  told  the  Captain  that  he 
knew  no  more  about  water  service  than  a  Government 
contracter  did  of  the  Golden  Rule.  Payne's  astonish- 
ment was  very  much  increased  upon  hearing  the  officer 
eay  that  he  wanted  one  man  at  least  who  was  ignorant  of 
marine  service,  and  that  he  would  be  accepted  to  fill  that 
vacancy. 

Two  days  afterward,  Payne  and  a  comrade  were  or- 
dered to  man  one  of  the  yacht's  s;iiall  boats,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  taking  two  of  the  naval  officers,  with  four  elegant 
ladies,  out  on  a  pleasure  ride  in  the  harbor.  Payne  knew 
nothing  about  rowing  a  boat,  but  fora  time  he  tried  hard, 
though  his  efforts  only  subjected  him  to  the  derision  of 
the  ladies  and  officers.  At  length,  tired  of  his  vain  en- 
deavors, and  being  much  piqued,  he  threw  his  oar  out 
into  the  water,  and  then  jumped  in  as  if  to  catch  it,  but 
really,  owing  to  the  heat  of  the  clay,  he  only  wanted  a 
bath.  After  swimming  around  aimlessly  ho  returned  to 
the  boat,  and  nearly  upset  it  trying  to  get  in  again.  All 
this  occasioned  much  laughter,  while  Payne  so  infused 
his  comrade  with  a  spirit  of  mischievousness  that  he  too 
threw  away  his  oar. 

After  the  fun  had  proceeded  sometime,  the  officers  or- 
dered Payne  and  his  companion  in  servitude  to  recover 
the  oars  and  row  the  boat  back  to  shore  ;  but  this  the 
two  oarsmen  peremptorily  refused  to  do,  and  upon  being 
threatened,  Payne  told  the  officers  that  if  they  made  any 
attempt  at  coercion  he  would  throw  them  both  out  of  the 
boat  just  as  he  had  the  oars.  Now,  here  was  a  great  big 
dilemma  for  the  officers,  their  embarrassment  being  spe- 
cially humiliating  because  of  the  presence  of  four  beau- 
tiful ladies,  before  whom  anything  but  a  maintainance  of 
official  dignity  and  gallantry  would  be  shocking. 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.  PAYNE.  505 

Finding  that  orders  and  threats  accomplished  nothing, 
and  the  prospects  appearing  that  the  party  would  spend 
the  night  at  sea,  the  ladies  began  a  series  of  importun- 
ings  with  Payne  ;  but  he  was  inflexible,  while  his  sinewy 
arms,  powerful  build,  large  proportions  and  determined 
features  admonished  the  officers  how  disastrous  coercive 
measures  would  certainly  prove.  Every  other  means  of 
gaining  the  shore  having  been  fruitlessly  debated,  the 
officers  at  length  were  compelled  to  splash  around  until 
they  recovered  the  oars,  and  then  pull  the  boat  and  party 
to  shore,  while  Pay  1113  and  his  comrade  sat,  one  in  the 
prow  and  the  other  in  the  stern,  singing  jolly  songs  for 
the  delectation  of  the  ladies.  When  they  reached  shore 
Payne  anticipated  results  by  calling  at  once  on  his  friend, 
Gen.  Tom  Ewing,  whose  influence  again  procured  for 
him  a  pardon  ;  but  he  never  returned  to  the  marine  ser- 
vice, for  directly  afterward  he  was  discharged  with  his 
company,  and  returned  home. 

Payne's  service  in  the  volunteer  army  extended  over  a 
period  of  eight  years,  first  as  a  private  in  company  F, 
Tenth  Reg.  Kans.  Infantry,  from  August,  1861,  until  Au- 
gust, 1864 ;  his  second  enlistment  was  in  company  G, 
Eighth  Reg.  of  Veteran  Volunteers  as  private  from  March, 
1865,  until  March,  1866  ;  his  third  service  was  as  captain 
of  company  "D"  of  the  Eighteenth  Kans.  Cavalry,  from 
July,  1867,  until  November  of  the  same  year  ;  and  his  last 
service  was  as  captain  of  company  H,  Nineteenth  Kansas 
Cavalry,  in  which  he  served  from  October,  1868,  until  Oc- 
tober, 1869.  In  the  meantime  he  performed  other  duties 
of  great  service  to  the  State,  holding  the  position  of  post- 
master at  Ft.  Leavenworth,  a  member  of  the  Legislature, 
and  was,  during  two  terms,  sergeant-at-arms  of  the  Kan- 
sas Senate,  besides  engaging  in  such  political  campaigns 
as  gave  him  an  acknowledged  influence.  He  was  an  ar- 


506  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

dent  supporter  of  Gen.  Tom  Ewing,  who  after  serving  % 
term  as  Chief  Justice  of  Kansas,  sought  the  greater  hon- 
or of  U.  S.  Senator.  Payne  worked  so  hard  to  secure 
Ewing' s  election  that  the  latter,  though  a  politician,  never 
forgot  those  favors,  and  remains  to  this  day  one  of 
Payne's  warmest  friends. 

During  the  rebellion  Payne  was  attached  to  the  army 
of  the  frontier  under  Gens.  Price  and  Blunt,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  nearly  all  the  memorable  conflicts  that  took 
place  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  distinguished  for  desper- 
ate fighting  and  dreadful  mortality.  He  was  a  participant 
in  the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove,  Arkansas,  which  occurred 
on  the  7th  of  December,  18G4,  and  in  this  engagement 
he  performed  an  act  of  gallantry  Avhich  well  entitles  him 
to  a  place  in  the  honorary  niche  of  history.  In  the  hot- 
test of  the  fight  his  1st  Lieutenant,  Cyrus  Leland,  who 
was  at  the  head  of  his  men  leading  them  in  an  onslaught 
against  the  enemy,  was  struck  hard  in  the  right  shoulder 
and  his  sword  knocked  several  feet  distant.  Leland  tried 
in  vain  to  recover  his  s\vord  with  the  right  hand,  but  in- 
stead of  obeying  his  will  the  arm  was  limp  and  useless. 
Then,  like  the  courageous  man  he  was,  the  wounded  lieu- 
tenant raised  the  lifeless  arm  with  his  left  hand  and  thrust 
it  between  his  suspender  and  body,  and  picking  up  the 
sword  in  his  left  hand  he  continued  bravely  leading  his 
men.  In  a  few  moments  after  receiving  the  wound,  a 
bullet  having  crashed  through  hig  shoulder,  the  gallant 
lieutenant  fell  from  sheer  exhaustion,  though  at  this  time 
the  enemy  had  recovered  from  the  charge,  and  reinforced 
was  pouring  such  a  deadly  fire  into  the  faces  of  Payne's 
company  that  the  commanding  officer  ordered  his  men  to 
fall  back.  Payne,  seeing  his  brave  comrade  lying  on  the 
ground,  while  a  maddened  enemy  was  charging  back 
ready  to  trample  him,  stepped  out  of  ranks  and  lifting 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.  PAYNE.  507 

the  almost  lifeless  Lieutenant,  bore  him  on  his  shoulders, 
like  Hector  of  Troy,  for  fully  half  a  mile,  and  deposited 
his  precious  burden  within  his  own  tent,  where  immediate 
surgical  attention  saved  brave  Leland's  life.  Such  an  act 
of  devoted  comradeship  can  only  find  a  parallel  in  the 
Brothers-in-Arms  of  the  time  of  Henry  II.,  and  deserves 
the  richest  garlands  of  poetry  to  enshrine  it  in  history. 
Leland  was  afterward  appointed  Adjutant  General  on 
Ewing's  staff,  and  is  now  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Troy,  Kan- 
sas, a  living  evidence  of  Payne's  heroism  and  devotion. 

During  his  term  of  service  in  the  Legislature  in  1864- 
65,  Capt.  Payne  opposed  the  special  bounty  act,  upon 
purely  patriotic  grounds,  and  after  its  passage  he  again 
volunteered,  but  instead  of  accepting  the  bounty  he  per- 
mitted it  to  be  credited  to  his  county — Doniphan — thus 
manifesting  his  consistency  and  honesty. 


CHAPTER  H. 

AFTER  the  close  of  the  war,  Payne  again  resumed  the 
occupation  of  a  plainsman — scouting,  hunting,  trailing, 
guiding  trains,  etc.  His  disposition  was  so  congenial, 
and  possessing  a  courage  which  challenged  the  respect  of 
the  greatest  desperado,  he  has  ever  enjoyed  the  popular- 
ity of  every  pioneer  who  knows  him.  The  Indian  Terri- 
tory and  canons  of  the  Cimarron,  including  the  great 
salt  basin,  are  so  familiar  to  him  that  he  is  entitled,  by 
precedence,  to  the  appellation  of  "  The  Cimarron  Scout." 
Few  men  are  better  acquainted  with  the  Indian  character, 
and  his  conflicts  with  the  Cheyennes,  Arrapahoes,  Kiowas 
and  Navajoes  are  numerous  almost  beyond  the  limit  of 


508  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

description,  one  of  which,  because  it  is  classed  among 
the  most  remarkable  that  ever  took  place  on  the  plains, 
will  serve  to  illustrate  his  true  character. 

In  the  spring  of  1868,  the  Northern  Cheyennes,  under 
Tall  Bull,  made  a  raid  along  the  Republican  river,  and 
near  Jules  City  they  committed  a  massacre  of  white  set- 
tlers and  travelers  which  will  long  live  in  the  memory 
of  Western  pioneers.  Their  atrocities  were  peculiarly 
shocking  because  they  spared  none  but  two  women  whom 
they  reserved  for  their  own  devilish  purposes ;  ripping 
up  the  other  females,  dashing  out  the  brains  of  children 
and  horribly  mutilating  the  men.  The  two  women 
whose  lives  were  spared  were  Mrs.  Morgan,  a  bride  of 
only  one  month,  and  a  Miss  White,  both  of  whom  were 
en  route,  with  their  families,  for  Southern  Colorado.  A 
Mrs.  Blinn,  from  St.  Louis,  was  captured,  together  with 
her  little  boy,  at  the  same  time,  and  spared  for  a  wrhile, 
but  being  unable  to  endure  the  march,  the  Indians  split 
her  head  open  and  butchered  her  six-year  old  boy,  leav- 
ing their  bodies  lying  in  the  trail,  where  the  skeletons 
were  afterward  found. 

As  soon  as  a  report  of  the  dreadful  outrage  spread 
through  the  settlements,  an  armed  band  started  in  pur- 
suit of  the  Indians  and  followed  them  for  several  months, 
only  to  at  last  lose  the  trail  and  return  home  without 
accomplishing  anything. 

When  the  settlers  were  first  attacked,  Mrs.  Morgan's 
husband  was  shot  down  before  her  face,  and  of  course 
she  believed  him  dead.  Miss  White,  as  she  was  being 
carried  off  by  her  captors,  still  entertained  some  hope 
that  her  father  had  escaped,  and  would  act  as  a  guide  for 
some  relief  party  that  she  expected  would  make  an  effort 
to  rescue  her.  She  therefore  tore  her  dress  in  pieces, 
and  from  time  to  time  dropped  small  bits  on  the  way,  so 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.    PAYNE.  511 

that  if  her  father  should  be  among  the  pursuers  he  would 
recognize  the  pieces  as  parts  of  her  dress,  and  the  party 
would  thus  be  enabled  to  keep  directly  in  the  trail.  Miss 
White's  father,  however,  was  killed,  while  the  husband  of 
Mrs.  Morgan,  though  desperately  wounded,  was  found 
by  friends  and  by  careful  nursing  became  convalescent, 
but  not  until  after  some  months  had  elapsed.  When  Mr. 
Morgan  grew  able  to  ride,  he  went  directly  to  Gov.  Craw- 
ford, of  Kansas,  and  asked  for  assistance  in  an  effort  he 
proposed  to  make  for  the  recapture  of  his  wife.  There 
were  many  who  believed  that  Mrs.  Morgan  and  Miss 
White  had  been  murdered,  and  that  such  an  expedition  as 
the  anxious  husband  proposed  was  altogether  useless. 
However,  a  short  time  after  his  conference  with  the 
Governor,  he  received  reliable  information  that  both  the 
women  were  still  living  and  in  the  keeping  of  their  first 
captors.  Gen.  Ouster  was  commanding  a  body  of  Gov- 
ernment troops  in  southern  Kansas  at  this  time,  and 
learning  of  the  expedition  proposed  by  Morgan,  he  be- 
came anxious  to  enter  a  chase  after  the  Cheyennes.  But 
before  any  definite  action  was  taken,  Gov.  Crawford  Bent 
for  Capt.  Payne,  for  the  purpose  of  consulting  him  as  to 
the  advisability  of  entrusting  the  expedition  to  Govern- 
ment troops  or  to  a  volunteer  force  of  Kansas  men. 
Capt.  Payne  at  once  advised  a  concerted  movement  with 
an  organization  of  two  or  three  companies  of  volunteers 
who  would  place  themselves  under  the  general  command 
of  Custer.  This  action  was  deemed  most  expedient,  be- 
cause the  Northern  Cheyennes  had  joined  their  Southern 
L/ethren  in  the  Indian  Nation,  and  by  a  union  of  the  two 
tribes  had  a  force  of  fully  one  thousand  warriors. 

The  result  of  the  interview  was  that  the  Governor  gave 
Capt.  Payne  orders  to  enlist  from  one  to  two  hundred 
men  and  report  to  Custer  at  Ft.  Hays.  Payne  returned 


512 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


directly  to  Leavenworth,  and  in  two  days'  time  had  raised 
a  volunteer  force  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  had 
collected  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  head  of  mules  for 
the  expedition.  This  force,  of  which  Payne  was  chosep 


Captain,  he  took  at  once  to  Ft.  Hays,  and  on  the  next 
day  after  his  arrival  there,  November  20th,  the  entire 
command  was  mounted  and  the  expedition  started  for  th« 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.    PAYNE.  513 

CimarroB,  along  the  banks  of  which  stream  it  was  re- 
ported the  Indians  had  recently  been  seen. 

The  rigors  of  a  bitter  winter  came  on  very  early  that 
year,  and  the  expedition  had  moved  only  a  very  short 
distance,  when,  striking  the  lower  ridge  of  the  Wichita 
range  and  Cimarron  canons,  the  snow  accumulated  so 
rapidly  that  it  offered  the  most  serious  impediments,  a 
large  number  of  their  horses  and  mules  being  lost.  The 
command,  numbering  about  twelve  hundred  men,  con- 
tinued maneuvering  in  the  Indian  Territory  until  the 
February  following,  when,  owing  to  the  extreme  weather 
and  inability  to  locate  the  Indians,  the  expedition  went 
into  camp  at  Ft.  Sill  and  remained  for  one  week.  At 
the  expiration  of  this  time  the  scouts  brought  in  word 
that  the  Cheyennes,  two  hundred  strong,  had  been  sighted 
only  a  few  miles  west.  This  information  created  great 
excitement  in  the  camp,  and  preparations  were  made  for 
an  immediate  move.  Accordingly,  on  the  12th  of  Feb- 
ruary, the  march  was  begun,  the  force  having  been  in- 
creased by  the  employment  of  one  hundred  scouts,  who 
went  ahead  "beating"  the  route  in  order  to  definitely 
locate  the  Indians.  Gov.  Crawford  had  also  joined  the 
expedition,  first  resigning  his  position  as  Governor  of 
Kansas  in  order  to  participate  in  the  campaign. 

The  Cheyennes'  trail  was  soon  found  and  led  soutwest- 
wardly  for  fifty  miles ;  then  struck  directly  across  the 
Great  Salt  Plains  toward  New  Mexico.  This  desert  spot, 
which  is  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  miles  broad,  is  one 
of  the  most  wretchedly  dreary  and  desolate  stretches  of 
country  on  the  globe.  It  is  covered  by  a  thick,  stubby 
growth  of  wire  grass,  which,  in  turn,  is  covered  by  a 
heavy  incrustation  of  salt.  In  marching  through  it  the 
greatest  difficulty  is  experienced,  for  the  feet  sink  down 
just  as  in  a  twelve-inch  depth  of  snow  covered  with  a 


514  HEROES   OF   THE    PLAINS, 

strong  crust  of  ice.  In  addition  to  this  impediment^ 
which  cuts  the  feet  of  horses  and  men  in  the  most  cruei 
manner j  the  salty  atmosphere,  through  inhalation,  pro- 
duces a  constant  burning  thirst,  while  nowhere  can  be 
found  in  that  vast  expanse  a  drop  of  water. 

On  reaching  this  desolate  region,  the  expedition,  being 
wholly  unacquainted  with  the  length  and  character  of  the 
march,  neglected  to  carry  a  proper  supply  of  water  and 
provisions,  a  fact  which  every  one  in  the  command  real- 
ized after  the  first  day  of  their  entrance  thereon.  The 
animals  that  were  still  alive  were  barely  sufficient  to 
convey  arms,  munitions  and  camp  equippage,  so  that  the 
men  were  compelled  to  complete  the  entire  journey  on 
foot.  When  night  approached,  the  officers  and  scouts 
looking  about  for  water  or  the  shelter  of  some  kind  oasit, 
saw  only  the  shimmering  salt,  stretching  away,  appar- 
ently, to  the  rim  of  the  horizon  on  every  side ;  nothing 
but  the  trail  of  the  Cheyennes  bore  any  evidence  that  a 
single  living  thing  had  ever  before  explored  the  regions 
of  this  wilderness  of  uninhabitable  desolation.  The 
pangs  of  thirst  began  to  be  felt  in  both  men  and  horses, 
which  increased  as  the  weary  hours  wasted,  and  to  pre- 
vent death  from  this  most  terrible  deprivation,  many 
experiments  were  resorted  to.  Deep  wells  were  sunk, 
but  the  water  thus  obtained  was  so  strongly  impregnated 
with  the  saline  properties  of  the  earth  above  that  it  was 
next  to  impossible  to  swallow  it. 

The  scarcity  of  provisions  became  another  source  of 
extreme  privation,  so  that  the  command  was  placed  on 
half  rations,  while  the  march  was  so  fatiguing  that  it  ap- 
peared for  a  time  that  the  entire  expedition  would  cer- 
tainly perish  within  the  confines  of  this  dreadful,  barren 
solitude.  These  several  exhausting  and  harassing  imped- 
iments so  retarded  the  journey  that  it  was  not  until  the 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.  PAYNE.  515 

close  of  the  fourth  day  that  the  advance  scouts  reported 
the  appearance  of  trees  which  margined  the  Salt  Plains. 
When  this  truly  glorious  sight  broke  upon  the  vision  of 
the  suffering  army,  every  throat,  though  dried  by  thirst 
like  crispy  parchment,  found  voice  for  praise,  for  it  was 
verily  like  the  harvest  of  life  out  of  death. 

Several  of  the  horses  died  before  they  reached  the  ha- 
ven of  growing  vegetation  and  the  purling  of  singing 
brooks.  So  sorely  famished  were  the  men  that  they 
broke  their  fast  upon  the  dead  carcasses.  After  reaching 
the  Cimarron  river,  although  there  was  an  abundance  of 
pure  water  and  grasses  for  their  jaded  and  starved  ani- 
mals, yet  contrary  to  general  expectation,  no  buffalo  or 
other  £ame  was  found,  and  the  men  were  therefore  at  last 
reduced  to  the  extremity  of  killing  some  of  the  remain- 
ing horses  for  meat  in  order  to  save  themselves  from 
death  by  starvation.  Capt.  Payne,  who  suffered  all  the 
privations  endured  by  his  men,  was  forced  by  the  pangs 
of  hunger  to  appease  his  appetite  on  the  steaks  of  some 
of  his  faithful  pack  animals,  and  now  makes  the  observa- 
tion that  mule  meat  may  not  appear  very  palatable  when 
included  among  the  ample  spread  of  a  versatile  menu,  but 
on  the  occasion  when  he  partook  of  it  he  felt  that  it  was 
as  delicious  as  the  mauna  that  heaven  distilled  to  save 
the  chosen  of  Israel. 

After  three  days  more  of  marching,  bearing  up  under  all 
their  sufferings,  the  expedition  reached  a,  section  of  coun- 
try where  prairie  chickens  and  wild  turkeys  were  abun- 
dant, and  a  general  hunt  soon  provisioned  the  army  for 
the  time  being. 

On  the  13th  of  March  the  Cheyennes  were  discovered 
encamped  on  a  small  tributary  of  Red  river,  and  imme- 
diately upon  this  fact  being  known  preparations  were 
made  for  an  attack.  When  the  Indians  learned  theprox- 


516  HEROES    OF   THE-  PLAINS. 

imity  of  their  pursuers,  and  finding  how  determined  was 
the  expedition,  ten  of  the  sub-chiefs  were  sent  to  Custer 
as  a  peace  commission  for  a  "  pow-wow."  Among  this 
decemvirate  of  chiefs  were  Roman  Nose,  the  head  chief, 
Lone  Wolf,  Cross  Timber,  Eagle  Chief  and  Yellow  Nose, 
five  whose  names  were  specially  loathesome  to  the  Wes- 
tern settlers.  When  this  body  of  treaty  peace-makers 
came  into  camp  Custer  immediately  ordered  their  seizure, 
and  then  sent  back  word  to  the  waiting  tribe  that  he 
would  hold  the  ten  chiefs  as  hostages,  and  would  kill 
each  of  them  if  the  women  were  not  delivered  up.  In 
answer  to  this  the  Indians  agreed  to  return  the  women, 
but  declared  they  were  not  with  the  tribe  but  were  in 
charge  of  the  squaws  at  Little  Robe  camp,  twelve  miles 
beJow.  They  further  asked  permission  to  drop  down  to 
that  camp,  promising  that  they  would  return  on  the  next 
day  with  the  women.  This  request  Custer  granted,  feel- 
ing confident  that  so  long  as  he  had  possession  of  the  ten 
chiefs  the  tribe  would  not  kill  the  women,  nor  would  they 
attempt  an  escape.  This  action  of  Custer  was  so  bitterly 
opposed  by  all  his  men  that  only  the  most  careful  gener- 
alship prevented  a  mutiny. 

The  Indians  packed  up  their  things,  and  loading  their 
baggage,  squaws  and  children  onto  sleds  they  departed 
southward.  Custer,  however,  became  somewhat  anxious 
about  the  fulfillment  of  their  promise,  and  to  provide 
against  possible  ill-results,  he  followed  with  his  entire 
force.  When  the  command  reached  Little  Robe  imagine 
Custer 's  surprise  to  find  neither  Indians  nor  any  evidence 
of  a  recent  occupation  of  the  place.  The  cunning  Chey- 
eynnes  had  taken  advantage  of  the  privilege  and  dispersed 
themselves  like  a  brood  of  young  quails  when  alarmed, 
not  one  being  in  sight. 

This  result  so  annoyed  the  men  that  they  all  clamored 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.  PAYNE. 


517 


for  the  execution  of  the  captive  chiefs,  but  Custer  and 
Payne  had  influence  enough  to  prevent  this.  On  the  fol- 
lowing day  the  scouts  reported  the  appearance  of  Indians 


lurking  around  the  camp,  and  it  now  became  evident  that 
they  were  trying  to  discover  what  had  become  of  their 


518  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

chiefs.  This  fact  led  to  a  most  sensible  suggestion  which 
resulted,  happily,  in  the  recovery  of  the  two  women. 
Knowing  that  the  Indians  were  now  fully  cognizant  of 
what  was  taking  place  in  the  white  camp,  Ouster  order- 
ed preparations  to  be  made  for  the  execution  of  the  ten 
chiefs.  Ten  ropes  were  thereupon  adjusted  to  a  long 
branching  limb  of  a  large  tree  and  the  ten  nooses  display- 
ed to  great  advantage ;  a  platform  was  erected  under- 
neath the  ropes,  everything  being  suggestive  of  an  execu- 
tion, and  then  a  cordon  of  soldiers  was  stationed  around 
the  tree.  Seeing  these  preparations,  some  of  the  Indians 
came  in  from  their  hiding  places  and  offered  to  give  up 
the  women  if  the  lives  of  the  chiefs  were  spared.  This 
Custer  consented  to  do,  provided  the  women  were  deliv- 
ered to  him  within  two  and  one-half  hours  from  that 
time. 

The  strategies  of  the  Cheyennes  could  not  avail  them 
now,  and  soon  there  was  descried  coming  down  a  defile  of 
the  mountains,  a  long  line  of  Indians,  having  in  front  of 
them  Mrs.  Morgan  and  Miss  White,  each  having  a  buffalo 
robe  wrapped  about  her  person.  When  they  had  reach- 
ed within  several  hundred  yards  of  Custer' scamp  four  of 
the  Indians  accompanied  the  ladies  into  the  presence  of 
Custer  and  formally  delivered  them  up. 

The  women  presented  a  most  forlorn  appearance  when 
they  reached  their  rescuers,  and  told  a  tale  of  suffering, 
which,  if  it  were  not  well  verified,  would  certainly  be  dis- 
credited by  many.  Mrs.  Blinn,  being  unable  to  continue 
the  march,  owing  to  her  inhuman  treatment,  refused  to 
go  further,  and  not  being  able  to  force  her,  an  Indian, 
obeying  the  order  of  his  chief,  grabbed  her  by  the  long 
hair  which  so  beautifully  adorned  her  head,  and  while 
another  of  the  fiends  was  butchering  her  little  boy,  she 
was  dragged  a  short  distance,  her  skull  split  open  by  a 
tomahawk  and  her  body  horribly  mutilated. 


LIFE   OF   CAPT.    PAYNE.  519 

The  other  two  ladies  were  given  over  to  the  care  of  the 
squaws,  whose  jealousy  prompted  cruelties  as  cunning  as 
the  inquisitorial  torments.  They  were  forced  to  perform 
the  most  trying  and  degrading  labors  of  the  camp,  and 
during  the  winter  time,  when  carrying  wood  and  water, 
their  fingers  would  become  so  cold  that  they  could  not 
resist  the  temptation  to  warm  them  by  the  fire ;  as  a 
punishment  for  this  act  the  squaws  forcibly  held  the 
hands  of  the  ladies  in  the  blaze  until  their  finger  ends 
were  burned  to  the  bone  and  became  charred  stumps ; 
yet  even  in  this  agonizing  condition  their  labors  were  not 
abated,  for  the  heavy  cudgel  compelled  them  to  continue 
in  the  performance  of  duties  almost  too  heavy  for  human 
endurance.  Nor  did  the  night  bring  them  rest,  for  their 
sufferings  continued  until  sheer  unconsciousness  afforded 
a  respite.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  conceive  how  na- 
ture, and,  least  of  all,  feminine  nature,  could  survive  so 
long  under  such  exhausting  and  acute  pangs  of  mental 
and  physical  torture. 

The  Cheyennes,  who  had  escaped  the  annihilation  they 
so  justly  merited,  made  off  in  a  direction  which  caused 
grave  suspicion  that  their  purpose  was  to  unite  with  other 
tribes  in  the  territory  and  thus  re-enforced  fall  upon  the 
expedition  before  it  could  reach  the  sheltering  forts  of 
Kansas.  This  suspicion  was  so  natural  that  nearly  every 
one  in  the  command  confidently  expected  an  attack,  which, 
if  it  had  been  attempted  by  the  large  number  of  Indians 
whom  Tall  Bull  'might  easily  have  influenced,  would  no 
doubt  have  proved  successful.  Thoroughly  comprehend- 
ing the  probable  danger  of  his  position,  Gen.  Ouster  held 
a  consultation  with  Capt.  Payne,  in  whose  judgment  the 
entire  command  placed  the  greatest  reliance. 

Said  Ouster,  addressing  Payne  :  "  Captain,  we  have  got 
to  send  word  to  Ft.  Hays  at  once  ;  some  one  must  act  as 


520  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

courier  to  notify  our  friends  of  our  position,  and  to  cany 
the  good  news  that  the  two  ladies  are  in  safety  with  us." 

Capt  Payne  responded  :  "  Yes,  that  is  my  idea,  and  the 
sooner  a  messenger  is  despatched  the  better." 

"  Well,  then,"  replied  Ouster,  "you  are  the  very  man 
to  make  this  trip ;  you  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  country,  and  I  feel  safe  in  entrusting  you  with  this 
important  mission." 

"  All  right,"  was  the  cheerful  reply  of  Payne,  not  with- 
standing  the  fact  that  he  was  the  heaviest  man  in  the  en- 
tire expedition,  besides  holding  an  official  position  in  the 
command. 

"  You  can  take  your  pick  of  men  and  horses  and  start 
at  once.  I  think  you  will  require  about  fifty  men,  but 
with  these  I  have  no  fear  of  your  getting  through,"  ad- 
vised Ouster. 

"  The  fewer  men  I  have  with  me  the  better,"  replied 
Payne,  "for  fifty  of  the  best  soldiers  in  the  expedition 
couldn't  make  any  headway  at  fighting  the  hordes  of  In- 
dians on  the  war  path  between  here  and  Hays,  and 
would  only  make  the  trip  more  difficult." 

"Well,"  responded  Ouster,  "you  shall  have  your  own 
way  ;  what  men  will  you  take?  " 

"I'll  take  Jack  Oowan  and  Charley  Picard,"  respond- 
ed Payne,  "  and  my  purpose  is  to  set  out  from  here  in 
about  fifteen  minutes." 

This  was  getting  ready  with  despatch,  but  that  was 
exactly  what  the  circumstances  demanded,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  the  time  decided  on,  Oapt.  Payne  and  his 
two  trusty  companions  started  off  briskly  for  Ft.  Hays. 
The  expedition,  having  been  in  pursuit  of  the  Cheyennes 
from  November,  1868,  until  March  of  1869,  had  crossed 
and  recrossed  the  trail,  and  so  circuitous  had  been  the 
last  month's  march  that  from  the  point  where  the  ladies 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.    PAYNE.  521 

were  recaptured  to  Camp  Supply  was  only  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  by  the  direct  road,  which  ran  around  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  Salt  Plains.     This  first  ride 
was  accomplished  by  Payne  in  eighteen  hours,  and  reach- 
ing Camp  Supply,  a  change  of  horses — or,  rather,  of 
mules — was  made,  and  with  a  stop  only  of  a  few  mo- 
ments, the  three  couriers  started  for  Ft.  Dodge,  the  next 
intermediate  station.    In  making  the  change,  Capt.  Payne 
was  somewhat  annoyed  to  find  that  his  new  mule  was  a 
three-year  old,  upon  whose  back  there  had  never  been 
the  presence  of  a  seat  or  saddle.    Here  was  fun  for  those 
who  witnessed  the  antics  of  the  untamed  animal.   Payne, 
though  a  man  weighing  nearly  two  hundred  and   fifty 
pounds,  was  unusually  agile  for  one  of  his  size,  and  cred- 
ited himself  with  an  ability  to  ride  anything  that  could 
be  saddled  ;  but  the  obstreperous  mule  could  not  be  sad- 
dled until  he  was  violently  thrown  to  the  ground  and 
held  there  till  the  caparisons  were  adjusted.    By  backing 
the  animal  up  against  a  rick  of  wood,  so  that  he  could 
not  shy  aside,  Payne  at  length  managed  to  mount ;  it 
was  now  that  the  interesting  part  of  the  performance 
began — it  was  the  trick  mule  out  of  the  circus  ring.     At 
first  this  long-eared  descendant  of  the  Holy  Land  reared 
up  on  his  fore-feet  and  threw  his  heels  out  with  the  force 
of  a  cannon  ball,  taking  an  angle  of  nearly  forty-five 
degrees,  as  if  to  salute  the  man-in-the-moon  with  a  ball 
of  Indian  Territory  mud.     In  vain  did  this  athletic  com- 
pound of  villainy  and  masked  stupidity  try  to  dislodge 
his  rider  by  kicking ;  but  having  inherited  some  of  tho 
choice  rascality,  the  cunning  strategy  of   his  ancestral 
kith,  the  mule  plunged  directly  from  kicking  into  buck- 
ing, and  so  quickly,  too,  was  this  great  protean  act  ac- 
complished that,  it  must   be  confessed,  Capt.  Payne's 
last  meal  became  dreadfully  agitated   over  the   result. 


522  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

Imagine  the  spectacle  of  a  little  mule  with  a  back  as  flex- 
ible as  an  Indian's  bow,  and  having  its  possibilities  as 
thoroughly  in  hand.  This  very  considerate  animal  would 
draw  his  back  down  until  it  resembled  the  trough  of  the 
the  sea :  then  letting  go  the  spring  suddenly,  it  would 
shoot  up  in  the  shape  of  a  rainbow,  permitting  the  rider 
to  explore  the  upper  currents  of  atmosphere,  and  then 
replace  himself  with  a  force  as  undignified  as  it  was  pain- 
ful. The  fun  of  this  thing,  it  may  here  be  properly 
stated,  was  altogether  with  the  mule  and  the  spectators, 
for  the  Captain  was  not  allowed  a  sufficient  vacation  to 
discover  the  nub  of  the  joke. 

This  free-for-all,  go-as-you-please  performance  contin- 
ued for  some  time  without  any  intermission  for  refresh- 
ments, but  becoming  tired  at  last  with  his  exertions  to 
please  the  audience,  this  interesting  mule  deliberately  lay 
down,  in  excellent  imitation  of  the  death  scene  in  Romeo 
and  Juliet,  both  of  whom,  it  is  well  known,  gave  up  the 
ghost  kicking — against  the  cruel  in  junctions  of  Montague,, 
or  Capulet,  as  you  please.  The  persuasive  prod,  howev- 
er, brought  the  mule  to  life  again  for  the  second  act, 
which,  it  is  but  justice  to  his  memory  to  state,  he  went 
through  with  to  the  eminent  satisfaction  of  his  manager. 

Away  went  the  three  daring  couriers,  each  riding  a 
mule  and  driving  a  pack  animal  before  them  who.  was 
laden  with  eighteen  hundred  rounds  of  ammunition,  as  a 
pro  visionary  precaution  in  case  of  a  siege.  Shortly  after 
dark,  as  the  party  was  clambering  up  the  hills  of  Western 
Kansas,  they  suddenly  found  themselves  almost  within 
the  camp  of  more  than  a  hundred  scalp-loving  Kiowas. 
Jack  Cowan,  in  whom  there  was  the  moving  spirit  of  the 
devil  to  dare  danger,  proposed  riding  through  the  camp 
on  a  run  "  just  to  see  some  fun,"  as  he  expressed  it. 
Payne  admonished  Jack  that  the  nature  of  their  mission 


LIFE  OF  CAPT.  PAYNE.  523 

was  altogether  too  important  for  indulging  in  fun  of  that 
character.  The  three  carefully  backed  out  and  went 
around  the  camp  without  being  discovered,  but  on  the 
following  day,  having  passed  Ft.  Dodge  and  made  an- 
other change  of  animals,  in  looking  through  the  field- 
glass  Payne  saw  a  body  of  Indians  numbering  nearly  one 
hundred  and  fifty,  passing  through  a  defile  of  the  hills, 
evidently  following  the  trail  his  little  party  had  made. 
They  had  not  long  to  await  developments,  for  the  paint, 
discovered  through  the  glass  on  the  faces  of  the  Indians, 
plainly  told  the  purpose  on  which  they  were  bent. 

Payne  and  his  comrades  made  off  rapidly  for  a  ravine 
in  which  they  found  the  bank  sufficiently  high  and  abrupt 
to  well  serve  their  needs  for  a  fortification.  As  the  In- 
dians came  riding  rapidly  along  the  hillside  near  the  ra- 
vine, Jack  Cowan,  being  unable  to  restrain  his  impulsive 
nature,  drew  his  carbine  and  sent  a  bullet  after  the  leader, 
but  instead  of  hitting  the  Indian  he  struck  the  red-skin's 
horse  in  the  head,  knocking  him  down,  and  the  hillside 
being  steep  the  pony  tumbled  and  rolled  down  so  near 
Payne  and  his  comrades  that  their  mules  became  very 
much  frightened  and  tried  hard  to  get  away.  The  party 
being  now  discovered,  a  fight  ensued  in  which  three  sturdy 
scouts  were  matched  against  fifty  times  their  number. 
Payne  and  Picard  fired  a  moment  after  Cowan's  first 
shot  and  two  Indians  went  down,  one  killed  dead  and  the 
other  badly  wounded.  The  Kiowas  were  armed  with 
bows  and  arrows,  and  as  the  wind  was  blowing  in  hard 
gusts,  they  could  not  discharge  their  missiles  with  any 
accuracy  at  long  range,  and  they  were  too  cowardly  to 
make  a  charge. 

The  fight  continued  for  nearly  two  hours,  with  the 
Indians  occasionally  riding  at  great  speed  in  a  circle  by 
their  dead  comrades,  five  of  whom  were  now  on  the 


524  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

ground,  and  as  they  came  rushing  by  each  one  would 
throw  himself  on  the  off  side  of  his  horse,  and  reaching 
down,  try  to  drag  away  one  of  the  bodies.  This  peculiar 
occupation  afforded  Payne  and  his  men  no  small  amuse- 
ment, for  the  Indians  made  no  serious  effort  to  charge  or 
dislodge  the  little  party.  Having  at  last  secured  and 
taken  away  their  dead,  the  Indians  divided,  a  body  of 
about  fifty  crossing  the  ravine,  which  was  quite  broad, 
to  make  an  attack  from  the  other  side.  Payne  at  once 
changed  his  quarters  so  as  to  cover  the  exposed  position, 
and  so  dexterously  did  he  handle  the  Indians  now  on  his 
side  that  three  of  the  enemy  and  two  ponies  fell  victim? 
to  his  excellent  aim,  while  Cowan  and  Picard  were 
equally  active,  and  did  such  execution  that  the  Kiowas 
drew  off  a  while  to  council.  In  about  half  an  hour  they 
came  back  on  a  dead  run,  each  of  the  two  parties  circling 
by  the  ravine  and  turning  loose  a  shower  of  arrows,  only 
one  of  which,  however,  did  any  execution ;  this  one 
struck  Capt.  Payne  in  the  right  shoulder,  glancing,  cut- 
ting a  gash  of  considerable  depth,  but  fortunately  did 
not  touch  the  bone.  Two  more  Indians  and  one  pony 
went  down  in  the  charge,  and  Cowan,  moved  by  that 
impetuous  spirit  which  always  distinguished  him,  jumped 
up  on  the  bank  of  the  ravine,  and  shouting  to  the  Ki- 
owas, took  a  long  pull  at  his  whisky  bottle.  Seeing  this 
act  of  bravado,  several  of  the  Indians  cried  out,  "  Cali- 
fornia Joe!"  and  so  holy  a  horror  had  they  of  this  great 
fighter,  whom  they  believed  Cowan  to  be,  that  they  im- 
mediately made  off  and  were  seen  no  more. 

Payne  and  his  party  met  with  no  further  adventure 
until  the  following  day,  when,  on  the  Santa  Fe  trail, 
they  were  again  struck  by  a  party  of  Cheyennes  who  had 
already  discovered  and  set  upon  Bo\  Wright,  who  was 
taking  a  freight  train  to  Santa  Fe  The  three  fougLl  the 


LIFE    OF   GAIT.  PAYNE. 


525 


Indians  so  well  that  a  respectable  distance  was  main* 
tained.  The  pack  mule,  however,  came  near  costing 
them  very  dearly  ;  this  animal  was  one  of  those  plodding 
creatures  that,  with  all  the  belaboring  Baalam  could  havs 


A  Cheyenne  Warrior. 

inflicted,  would  not  move  out  of  a  jog-trot.  It  was  there- 
fore a  fight  under  the  disadvantages  of  a  distressingly 
slow  retreat,  with  nothing  oil  the  broad  prairie  to  afford 


526  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

shelter.  Payne  and  his  men,  however,  managed  to  reach 
Wright's  corral  without  injury,  only  to  find  their  friends 
badly  frightened  over  the  prospects.  There  were  twelve 
men  with  Wright,  whom  Payne,  after  filling  up  to  the 
exciting  point  with  whisky,  ordered  out  and  made  a  dash- 
ing charge  at  the  Indians,  killing  nearly  a  score  and  gain- 
ing such  a  decisive  victory  that  the  remainder  of  the  band 
beat  a  final  retreat. 

On  the  fourth  day  out  Payne  reached  Ft.  Hays,  hav^ 
ing  performed  the  journey  of  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  miles  in  one  hundred  hours,  one  of  the  swiftest  rides, 
considering  the  obstacles  and  delays  encountered,  ever 
made  on  the  plains.  Before  reaching  their  destination, 
having  lost  so  much  rest,  Payne  had  to  rub  tobacco  in  hia 
eyes  to  keep  from  falling  asleep  on  the  way. 

Delivering  his  message,  Payne  returned  at  the  head  of 
two  hundred  men  as  a  relief  party,  but  found  Ouster  and 
the  expedition  making  rapid  progress  and  all  in  the  hap- 
piest humor.  No  troublesome  Indians  had  been  met, 
and  on  the  22d  of  March  the  command  reached  Ft.  Hayst 
with  the  two  ladies.  Mr.  Morgan  had  been  unable  to  ac- 
company the  expedition,  owing  to  his  enfeebled  condition, 
and  remaining  at  Hays  had  the  incomparable  joy  of  re- 
ceiving his  wife  from  the  hands  of  her  deliverers. 

Miss  White,  who  was  alone  in  the  world,  her  father  and 
relatives  having  been  killed  at  the  massacre  on  Republi- 
can river,  knew  not  what  to  do  or  where  to  go.  Finding 
her  in  a  very  disconsolate  frame  of  mind,  "  Pottawatto- 
mie  "  Jenkins,  an  old  pioneer  who  accompanied  the  expe- 
dition from  Pottawattomie  county,  made  a  little  speech 
to  the  boys  at  Ft.  Hays,  reciting  their  gallant  acts,  and 
concluding  his  remarks  by  calling  attention  to  the  lonely 
condition  of  Miss  White,  who  was  a  pretty  and  highly  ed- 
ucated lady,  offered  a  quarter-section  of  fine  land  to  any 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.  PAYSTE.  527 

one  in  the  expedition  who  would  marry  her.  This  prop- 
osition  was  accepted  by  a  man  from  near  Leavenworth, 
whose  name  cannot  now  be  recalled.  The  marriage  cer- 
emony was  performed  on  the  same  day,  both  parties  ap- 
pearing very  happy  over  the  singular  circumstances  which 
ended  in  their  "consolidation,"  and  at  night  the  event 
Was  celebrated  by  a  big  "  frolic."  On  the  day  following 
a  subscription  was  started  for  the  benefit  of  the  two 
ladies,  both  3trangely  united  to  husbands,  and  the  sum 
of  $2,000  was  raised,  $1,000  each,  which  gave  the  couples 
a  big  lift  over  the  obstacles  which  poverty  had  interposed. 

The  ten  chiefs,  instead  of  being  released,  as  the  Ohey- 
ennes  expected,  were  kept  in  custody  and  brought  up  to 
Ft.  Hays  with  Ouster,  where  they  were  placed  in  the  stock- 
ade, together  with  sixty-five  Indian  women  and  children 
who  had  been  captured  the  December  previous  in  the 
fight  with  Black  Kettle,  on  the  Wachita  river.  Black 
Kettle  was  killed  in  this  engagement,  but  his  sister,  Wah- 
wis-sa,  with  her  three  year  old  child,  was  captured  and 
kept  in  the  stockade  at  Hays.  Some  time  during  the 
summer  of  1869  the  captive  chiefs  made  an  attempt  at 
escape,  in  which  they  fought  with  such  courage  that  three 
of  the  soldiers  on  guard  were  killed,  but  in  return  all  of 
the  chiefs  received  mortal  wounds  from  the  rifles  of  the 
soldiers  who  were  near  to  succor  the  guards. 

In  this  hopeless  attempt  made  by  the  chiefs,  Black 
Kettle's  sister  was  also  killed  under  very  distressing  cir- 
cumstances. Ever  since  the  day  of  her  capture  she 
seemed  contented  to  remain  with  the  whites ;  she  was 
permitted  to  return  to  her  people,  her  child  having  been 
kept,  however,  at  the  fort ;  but  after  a  time  she  was 
offered  her  liberty,  together  with  that  of  her  child. 
Instead  of  going  back  to  her  tribe  she  declared  her  desire 
to  live  always  with  the  white  people,  who  treated  her 


528  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

much  better  than  the  Indians  of  her  own  tribe.  When 
the  chiefs  broke  out  of  the  stockade  and  rushed  on  their 
guards  this  woman  became  so  connected  with  the  strug- 
gle that,  under  an  apprehension  that  she  was  trying  to 
assist  the  Indians,  one  of  the  soldiers  shot  her  in  the  side 
fatally.  She  1-ived  some  hours  after  the  shooting,  and 
being  conscious  up  to  the  moment  of  her  death,  she 
explained  that,  instead  of  helping  the  chiefs,  she  was 
trying  to  take  a  knife  from  one  of  them,  and  had  not  the 
fatal  bullet  struck  her  she  would  have  saved  the  life  of 
one  of  the  guards  who  was  stabbed  with  the  knife  which 
the  chief  drew  from  her  relaxing  grasp. 

In  1870  Capt.  Payne  removed  to  Sedgwick  county, 
Kansas,  near  Wichita,  and  the  following  year  was  chosen 
to  represent  that  district  in  the  Legislature.  While  serv- 
ing in  the  session  of  1871-72,  through  his  influence  Sedg- 
wick county  was  divided  and  a  new  county  formed  of  the 
northern  part,  which  was  called  Harvey.  In  the  redis- 
tricting  of  Sedgwick  county  one  of  its  largest  town- 
ships was  named  in  his  honor,  * '  Payne,"  in  which  he  now 
makes  his  home,  owning  a  large  ranche  about  ten  miles 
northeast  of  Wichita. 

In  the  year  1879  Capt.  Payne  became  interested  in  a 
movement  for  the  occupation  and  settlement  of  a  district 
in  the  Indian  Territory,  which  is  known  as  Oklahoma 
(beautiful  land).  This  central  spot  in  that  beautiful 
country  comprises  one  hundred  thousand  acres  of  the 
finest  land  on  the  American  continent.  He  claims  the 
right  of  white  settlement  on  these  lands  under  a  treaty 
made  by  the  Government  with  the  Indians  in  1866,  by 
which  this  district  was  ceded  to  the  Government  as  a 
public  domain,  and  was  afterward  surveyed  and  set  apart 
as  such. 

Through  Capt.  Payne's  personal  endeavors  a  larg^  col- 


LITE    OF    CAPT.  PAYNE. 


529 


ony  was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  entering  upon  and 
settling  these  lands.  This  colony  moved  early  in  Decem- 
ber. 1880,  and  first  assembled  on  the  border  of  the  In- 


dian  Territory  on  Bitter  Creek,  and  after  organizing  on  a 
military  basis,  moved  along  the  State  line  to  Hunnewell, 
wJaere  thev  went  into  camp.  The  settlers  were  closely 


530  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

followed  by  Federal  cavalry  under  the  command  of  Colo- 
nel Coppinger,  who  had  previously  warned  the  intending 
invaders  that  any  attempt  to  enter  the  Indian  Territory 
in  the  face  of  the  President's  proclamation  would  be  for- 
cibly resisted .  At  Hunnewell,  where  the  cavalry  occupied 
one  side  of  a  creek  and  the  colonists  the  other, 
the  latter  remained  in  camp  for  two  or  three  days, 
receiving  a  good  many  recruits  from  the  dry  region 
of  Western  Kansas,  where  the  settlers  have  been  literally 
starved  out  for  some  years  past.  On  Sunday,  the  12th, 
the  camp  was  crowded  during  the  day  by  the  inhabitants 
of  the  surrounding  country,  who  came  to  inspect  the 
throng.  During  the  afternoon,  after  a  dress  parade  by 
the  colonists,  there  was  a  religious  service  conducted  by 
the  colony  chaplain.  An  invitation  was  extended  to  the 
officers  of  the  Federal  troops  to  unite  in  the  service,  and 
their  acceptance  occasioned  great  satisfaction.  Seats 
were  provided  for  the  ladies,  some  forty  or  fifty  in  num- 
ber, and  the  exercises  opened  with  the  grand  national  an- 
them, "America."  The  chaplain's  text  was  from  Exo- 
dus— the  Lord's  commandment  to  Pharoah  to  let  his  peo- 
ple go  and  possess  the  promised  land.  The  next  song 
was: 

"  Hold  the  fort  for  we  are  coming, 
Oklahoma  still." 

In  which  hundreds  of  voices  joined,  and  the  religious  ex- 
ercises concluded  with  the  rendition  of  the  ' '  Star  Span- 
gled Banner,"  three  cheers  for  the  flag,  three  more  for 
the  President,  and  a  tiger  for  the  Federal  troops.  It  was 
a  novel  spectacle,  and  none  seemed  to  en  joy  it  better  than 
the  officers  of  the  army,  who  sat  upon  the  anxious  bench, 
sandwiched  between  the  choir  and  the  pilgrims.  The 
stars  and  stripes  were  conspicuously  displayed  about  the 
camp,  while  a  number  of  the  wagons  were  adorned  with 


LIFE    OF    CAPT.    PAYNE.  531 

the  same  colors.  The  wagon  covers  were  nearly  all  in- 
scribed with  "  On  to  Oklahoma  I "  "  No  Turning  Back  !  " 
"  Strike  for  Homes  !  "  "  Uncle  Sam  is  rich  enough  to 
to  give  us  all  a  home  in  Oklahoma  !  "  and  similar  devices. 
On  Sunday  night  a  colony  meeting  was  held  for  confer- 
ence as  to  their  future  course,  but  the  only  conclusion  was 
to  wait  a  day  or  two  longer  for  some  modification  of 
the  President's  order,  under  which  it  would  be  possible 
for  them  to  proceed. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  Carl  Schurz,  having  held 
that  these  lands  were  purchased  exclusively  for  the  settle- 
ment of  negroes  or  of  Indians  who  would  accept  the  civil- 
izing influences  of  the  nation,  the  President  issued  his 
proclamation  forbidding  white  persons  to  enter  upon 
these  lands,  and  called  upon  the  military  to  enforce  the 
order. 

Receiving  no  answer  to  their  petition,  which  the  colo- 
nists had  forwarded  to  the  President,  and  getting  some- 
what anxious,  whilst  many  proposed  entering  the  lands 
despite  the  military,  on  the  13th  of,  December  a  meet- 
ing was  held  at  which  Dr.  Robert  Wilson,  of  Texas,  was 
appointed  a  committee  of  one  to  go  to  Washington  to  see 
if  something  could  not  be  done  at  once  to  relieve  the  crit- 
ical situation  on  the  border. 

On  the  14th  the  colonists  broke  camp  and  moved  for- 
ward to  Caldwell,  Kansas.  Before  starting  the  chaplain 
offered  up  a  prayer  for  the  success  of  the  undertaking, 
in  carrying  the  gospel  and  civilizatian  to  this  hitherto 
barbarous  and  benighted  land.  At  Caldwell,  where  five 
wagons  and  twenty  men  joined  the  column,  the  Mayor 
and  a  long  procession  of  citizens  came  out  to  meet 
the  colonists  and  escorted  them  through  the  streets, 
women  waving  handkerchiefs  and  men  cheering.  The 
eavalry  moved  along  with  the  settlers  without  interfering 


532 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


with  their  progress.  The  day  following,  at  a  mass  meet- 
ing of  the  citizens  of  Caldwell,  resolutions  were  adopted 
indorsing  the  movement  to  settle  the  lands,  and  asking 


the  President  to  order  the  troops  to  accompany  the  set- 
tlers to  Oklahoma  as  an  escort. 

Being  unable  to  accomplish  anything,  either  through 
petition  or  by  endeavoring  to  influence   Congressional 


LIFE  OF  CAPT.  PAYNE.  533 

legislation,  the  colonists  became  restless,  and  shortly 
afterward  Capt.  Payne,  having  been  arrested  by  the  U. 
S.  authorities,  charged  with  tresspassing  on  Indian  reser- 
vations, the  colony  disbanded  temporarily. 

The  trial  of  Capt.  Payne  occurred  at  Ft.  Smith,  before 
U.  S.  District  Judge  Parker,  on  the  7th  of  March,  1881. 
He  was  represented  by  Judge  Baker,  of  St.  Louis,  who 
argued  at  great  length  the  character  of  the  treaty  of  1866. 
The  question  raised  over  Capt.  Payne's  arrest  involves 
directly  the  nature  and  validity  of  that  treaty,  and  hence 
a  means  is  afforded  for  testing  a  point  upon  which  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the 
country  are  at  variance,  the  latter  holding  that  Oklahoma 
is  a  part  of  the  public  domain ,  and  subject  to  pre-emption 
and  settlement  like  all  other  public  lands. 

Personally,  Capt.  Payne  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
men  on  the  Western  frontier.  He  is  a  natural  scout, 
born  and  indurated  to  the  hardships  of  adventure  and 
campaign  service.  His  mother  is  a  first  cousin  of  the 
celebrated  Davy  Crockett,  for  whom  he  was  named,  and 
from  whom  he  seems  to  have  derived  a  character  which 
has  led  him  into  a  similar  life.  Unlike  most  heroes  of 
the  plains,  Capt.  Payne  is  a  strictly  temperate  man,  and 
is  so  far  removed  from  the  desperado  and  bravado  that 
he  is  universally  recognized  as  a  dignified  gentleman  of 
no  small  talent  in  all  the  fields  of  labor  where  his  services 
have  been  employed.  He  is  in  the  very  prime  of  life,  of 
very  large  and  powerful  frame,  with  such  a  commanding 
presence,  mild  manners  and  agreeable  deportment  that 
he  is  by  right  esteemed  as  one  of  the  most  prominent 
men  whose  names  are  inseparably  linked  with  the  settle- 
ment of  the  West. 

82 


534 


LIFE  OF  WHITE  BEAVER, 

PR  D.  F.  POWELL) 

CHIEF  MEDICINE  MAN  OF  THE  WINNEBAGOSIOUX 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  life  of  White  Beaver  (Dr.  D.  F.  Powell)  bears 
all  the  colors  and  shades  of  an  idyllic  romance  ;  his  char- 
acter stands  out  upon  the  canvas  of  human  eccentricities 
in  striking  originality,  and  finds  never  its  counterpart, 
save  in  stories  of  knight-errantry,  when  hearts,  names 
and  titles  were  the  prizes  bestowed  for  daring  deeds 
evolved  from  generous  sentiments.  His  has  been  the 
tenor  of  uneven  ways,  with  characteristics  as  variable  as 
the  gifts  in  Pandora's  box.  A  born  plainsman,  with  the 
rough,  rugged  marks  of  wild  and  checkered  incident,  and 
yet  a  mind  that  feeds  on  fancy,  builds  images  of  refine- 
ment, and  looks  out  through  the  windows  of  his  soul 
upon  visions  of  purity  and  fields  elysian.  A  reckless 
adventurer  on  the  boundless  prairies,  and  yet  in  elegant 
society  as  amiable  as  a  school-girl  in  the  ball-room  ;  evi- 
dencing the  polish  of  an  aristocrat,  and  a  cultured  mind 
that  shines  with  vigorous  lustre  where  learning  displays 
itself.  A  friend  to  be  valued  most  in  direst  extremity, 
aad  an  enemy  with  implacable,  insatiable  and  revengeful 
animosities.  In  short,  he  is  a  singular  combination  of 
opposites,  and  yet  the  good  in  him  so  preponderates 
over  his  passions  that  no  one  has  more  valuable  friend- 
ships and  associations  than  these  strange  complexities 
5S5 


536  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

attract  to  him.  He  is  an  ideal  hero,  the  image  which 
rises  before  the  ecstatic  vision  of  a  romancer,  and  he 
impresses  himself  upon  the  millions  who  know  his  repu- 
tation as  a  brave  and  chivalrous  gentleman. 

Dr.  David  Frank  Powell  (White  Beaver)  has  in  his 
veins  the  blood  of  three  races,  each  of  which  has  im- 
parted to  him  a  distinct  peculiarity.  His  mother  was  a 
woman  of  great  fertility  of  mind  and  resource,  whose 
father  was  a  full-blooded  Indian  Medicine  Chief  of  the 
Seneca  tribe,  who  were  known  as  the  Nun-da-wa  Ona 
(Mountain-dwellers).  Her  mother  was  a  Tompkins, 
born  in  Tompkins  County,  near  Seneca  Lake,  New  York, 
which  county  was  named  in  honor  of  her  people.  The 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  years  to  Dr.  C.  H.  Powell,  of  Kentucky, 
who  was  of  Highland-Scotch  descent.  Their  acquaint- 
ance and  marriage  occurred  while  Miss  Tompkins,  with 
her  Indian  father,  was  upon  a  hunting  excursion  near 
Seneca  Lake,  when,  by  accident,  she  met  Mr.  Powell, 
who  was  surveying  that  region.  After  marriage,  the 
couple  went  to  Kentucky  and  settled  in  the  mountainous 
district  near  the  Tennessee  line,  on  the  Kentucky  River. 
Mr.  Powell  was  a  highly-educated  gentleman,  speaking 
several  languages,  and  was  a  physician  of  large  reputa- 
tion. Mrs.  Powell  is  popularly  reputed  to  have  been  a 
woman  of  extraordinary  beauty,  and,  having  an  inherited 
liking  for  botany,  she  acquired  an  exceptional  knowledge 
of  the  medicinal  virtues  of  nearly  every  plant  indigenous 
to  the  places  where  she  lived.  This  knowledge  she 
applied  industriously,  and  became  not  only  a  great 
assistant  to  her  husband,  but  was  known  and  sought  as  a 
physician  by  thousands  herself. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  Dr.  Frank  Powell  has  inher- 
ited all   the   striking  traits  of  his   character  from  his 


LIFE    OF   WHITE    BEAVER.  537 

mother,  for  she  was  a  woman  not  alone  of  beauty  and 
intelligence,  but  also  one  of  great  magnetism,  which 
made  her  the  counselor  of  all  her  acquaintances ;  she 
was  courageous  almost  beyond  expression,  firm  and  self- 
reliant,  yet  sympathizing,  generous,  noble  and  gentle. 
These  traits  are  impressed  upon  all  her  children,  who 
resemble  her  in  both  appearance  and  disposition  ;  even  to 
her  grandchildren  have  been  transmitted  these  same  dis- 
tinguishing peculiarities. 

Of  the  tribe  of  Indians  to  which  Mrs.  Powell  (before 
her  marriage)  belonged,  there  were  four  branches,  or 
clans — the  Beaver,  Wolf,  Bear  and  Turtle — she  being  a 
member  of  the  Beaver  clan.  Her  grandfather,  a  firm 
friend  of  the  whites,  was  a  soldier  under  Gen.  Sullivan, 
and  received  his  death-wound  in  1779  in  a  battle  which 
took  place  near  Niagara  Falls. 

Dr.  D.  Frank  Powell  was  born  at  the  home  in  Ken- 
tucky, May  25th,  1847.  He  had  no  early  school  advan- 
tages, save  what  his  parents  gave  him  in  their  own  log 
cabin,  but  they  were  both  excellent  instructors,  and  not 
only  taught  him  the  rudiments  of  an  education,  but  also 
the  fundamental  principles  of  medicine,  a  profession 
which  he  gave  youthful  indications  of  embracing,  mani- 
festing an  aptitude  said  to  have  been  almost  marvelous. 

In  the  year  1855  Mr.  Powell  died,  and  soon  thereafter 
Mrs.  Powell,  anxious  to  again  see  her  parents,  who  were 
living  at  an  advanced  age,  sold  all  her  effects,  and,  with 
her  family  of  three  sons — Frank,  George  and  William- 
returned  overland  to  New  York.  Here  she  settled  again, 
about  thirty  miles  from  Ithica,  and  began  farming. 
Meeting  with  indifferent  success,  after  a  few  years  she 
started  with  her  family  for  the  Great  West,  which  was 
then  beginning  to  attract  emigrants.  Getting  as  far  as 
Chicago,  the  family  stopped,  and  young  Frank  secured  a 


538  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

position  with  F.  A.  Bryan,  a  druggist,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  two  years,  and  until  his  mother  decided  to 
again  remove,  this  time  directing  her  course  for  Omaha. 
Here  Frank  was  given  a  situation  as  chief  clerk  in  a  large 
drug-store,  owned  by  Dr.  James  K.  Ish.  In  this  posi- 
tion his  efficiency  and  rare  medical  knowledge,  for  his 
age,  became  so  conspicuous -that  they  were  recognized  by 
Dr.  Ish  giving  him  a  full  partnership  interest  in  the  store. 
The  firm  of  Ish  &  Powell  developed  a  large  business  in 
the  preparation  of  family  medicines,  which  they  supplied 
to  nearly  all  the  Territories. 

Frank  was  now  making  both  reputation  aud  money, 
but  the  other  members  of  the  family  were  unsettled,  and 
to  find  employment  they  purchased  a  considerable  tract 
of  land  on  Platte  River,  Nebraska,  near  Lone  Tree,  a 
place  that  is  now  historically  known  as  Old  Eagle  Island. 
Here  Mrs.  Powell  remained,  using  her  best  efforts  for 
the  advancement  of  her  children's  interest,  giving  both 
her  unremitting  labor  and  counsel  until  1879,  when  she 
was  seized  with  purpura,  which  ended  her  eventful  life. 
The  boys,  with  their  own  hands,  made  her  a  grave  under 
the  cotton  woods,  and,  bedewing  the  sacred  spot  with  a 
libation  from  breaking  hearts,  left  her  in  a  pious  sleep. 
That  upheaval  of  precious  earth  is  still  their  Mecca,  to 
which  they  pay  homage  in  annual  pilgrimages,  to  leave 
their  offerings  of  filial  love. 

While  conducting  his  prosperous  business  in  Omaha 
Frank  usually  spent  two  months  of  each  year  on  the 
ranche  with  his  brothers.  Game  was  abundant,  not  to 
speak  of  the  Sioux  Indians,  and  this  became  a  field  of 
delight  for  his  adventurous  nature.  He  was  a  fit  com- 
panion for  the  noblest  and  most  noted  border  men,  and 
his  society  being  courted,  Frank  became  a  favorite  of 
such  daring  plains  heroes  as  Buffalo  Bill,  California  Joe, 


LIFE    OF   WHITE    BEAVER.  539 

Wild  Bill,  Leon  Pallerday,  "Old  Man  Platte,"  the  Ke- 
shaw  family,  Texas  Jack,  and  a  hundred  others.  From 
the  inception  of  these  friendships,  they  found  that  Frank 
was  a  brave  lad  among  the  bravest  men,  that  with  a  dar- 
ing heart  he  had  a  generous  kindness,  and  already  was  a 
surgeon  and  physician  whose  equal  had  not  yet  set  foot 
upon  the  frontier. 

In  -the  times  of  which  I  am  now  writing  the  great 
plains  were  productive  only  of  buffaloes  and  Indians,  the 
number  of  each  apparently  being  in  fair  distribution ; 
buffalo  hunting  was  therefore  an  exhilarating  sport,  but 
fighting  and  getting  away  from  the  Indians  was  decidedly 
more  exciting ;  and  the  latter  was  very  often  a  sequence 
of  the  former.  There  are  men  who  cannot  appreciate  a 
pastime  unless  there  is  in  it  an  element  of  great  danger. 
It  is  this  characteristic  which  attracted  many  reckless 
men  to  the  frontier  and  won  for  them  the  name  of  heroes. 
Among  this  class  Frank  Powell  was  a  conspicuous  figure, 
but  while  some  followed  the  various  employments  pe- 
culiar to  the  plains  and  incurred  dangers  in  pursuit  of  a 
livelihood,  Frank  invited  them  as  an  exhilarant,  met  them 
because  they  were  the  true  delight  of  his  courageous  and 
venturesome  nature.  He  has  been  an  active,  front-rank 
participant  in  a  hundred  or  more  fierce  Indian  fights,  and 
bears  upon  his  person  the  trade-marks  of  not  a  few  val- 
orous warriors ;  if  I  were  to  describe  all  the  battles  in 
which  he  has  heroized  himself  it  would  require  a  book 
equal  to  the  whole  of  this  work,  but  there  are  some  ad- 
venturous incidents  which  the  value  of  history  demands 
that  I  record : 

In  1868,  while  Frank  was  out  hunting  with  the  elder 
Eeshaw,  McCabe,  the  Shoshone  scout,  Jonathan  Pugh, 
and  eight  others,  the  party  was  attacked  by  a  band  of 
Arrapahoes  in  command  of  Chief  Friday,  near  Whiskey 


540  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

Gap,  on  Sweet  water  River.  The  Indians  came  upon  them 
suddenly,  but  not  until  hasty  action  permitted  Powell's 
party  to  corral  their  horses  and  make  a  stand  in  a  buffalo 
wallow.  The  Indians  numbered  fully  one  hundred  war- 
riors and  were  well  armed,  several  having  rifles  and  pis- 
tols, which,  however,  it  appears  they  had  not  learned  to 
use  effectively.  The  fight  was  very  spirited  at  the  be- 
ginning, and  for  a  time  there  were  grave  doubts  that  a 
single  one  of  the  besieged  hunters  would  escape.  Their 
horses  were  shot  down  in  a  short  while,  but  this  really 
served  as  an  advantage  to  the  men,  for  immediately  the 
bodies  were  piled  in  a  circle  and  used  as  a  barricade. 
Indians  never  fight  like  white  men,  their  tactics  being  to 
ride  in  a  circle  around  their  enemies,  gradually  closing  in 
if  advantage  promises,  instead  of  charging  directly.  It 
was  thus  the  Arrapahoes  kept  up  their  attack,  riding- 
round  and  round  the  little  party  of  brave  hunters,  shoot- 
ing and  yelling,  but  doing  no  more  damage  than  occa- 
sionally wounding,  with  spent  bullets  that  penetrated 
through  the  barricade,  some  of  the  hunters.  But  there 
was  more  execution  made  by  the  besieged,  so  that  after 
the  first  day's  fighting  the  Indians  drew  off  out  of  range, 
intending  to  starve  out  the  beleaguered  party  or  compel 
them  to  abandon  their  defensive  position  by  preventing 
them  from  replenishing  their  canteens  with  water.  The 
river  was  nearly  one  mile  distant,  flowing  peacefully  by, 
unmindful  of  the  service  its  inviting  waters  might  give  to 
the  famishing  party.  For  three  days  and  nights  the  In- 
dians, feeling  certain  of  their  victims,  kept  their  posi- 
tions on  hillsides  surrounding  the  hunters  ;  every  avenue 
of  possible  escape  was  securely  guarded  ;  no  friendly  aid 
could  be  expected ;  there  was  no  pitying  glance  in  na- 
ture's aspect,  and  everything  seemed  to  forecast  a  mas- 
sacre. Of  food  there  was  an  abundance,  but  every  drop 


LIFE    OF   WHITE    BEAVER.  541 

of  water  had  been  exhausted  on  the  first  day,  chiefly  in 
bathing  wounds,  and  thirst  had  now  become  an  enemy 
more  dangerous  than  Indians.  No  one  was  determined 
what  to  do  until  at  last  up  spoke  Powell,  the  youngest  of 
the  party :  * «  I  will  decide  this  battle  ;  better  die  at  once 
than  linger  from  parching  thirst  in  the  terrible  stench  of 
these  dead  horses." 

"  Well,  what  will  you  do?"  was  asked  him. 

"  Do?  Why  charge  the  red  devils  and  trust  to  luck  ; 
follow  me  who  will ;  for  one  I  intend  to  leap  into  the 
crisis."  These  last  words  had  scarcely  left  his  lips 
when  with  a  spring  he  leaped  outside  the  breastworks 
and  made  a  break  for  the  river.  With  terrible  yells  the 
Indians  dashed  toward  him  ;  down  they  came  in  a  fierce 
swoop,  every  warrior  competing  for  the  white  man's 
scalp.  When  a  distance  of  scarce  fifty  yards  separated 
them,  Frank  stopped  and,  raising  his  gun,  fired,  and0 the 
foremost  Indian  dropped  headlong  from  his  saddle.  A 
rattling  fire  followed  from  the  hunters,  who,  until  now, 
Frank  did  not  know  had  left  the  barricade.  There  was 
a  fierce  contest  for  a  few  minutes,  in  which  so  many  In- 
dians were  killed  that  the  remainder  drew  off  and  let  the 
brave  hunters  through,  who  reached  the  Sweetwater  and 
there  so  intrenched  themselves  that  they  had  no  imme- 
diate fear  of  another  attack.  The  wounded  were  attended 
by  Frank  with  such  skill  that  only  one  died  from  injuries 
received  in  the  fight ;  four  others  of  the  party,  however, 
were  killed  outright. 

The  Indian  whom  Frank  killed  with  his  first  shot 
proved  to  be  "  Walking  Crane,"  one  of  the  most  re- 
nowned braves  among  the  Arrapahoes,  whose  teepee  was 
well  lined  with  scalps  taken  from  those  he  had  destroyed 
in  battle. 

The  reckless  daring  as  well  as  decisive  judgment  dis- 


542  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

played  by  Frank  upon  this  occasion  gained  for  him  a 
considerable  reputation  among  all  the  scouts  and  Indian, 
fighters,  and  his  name  soon  became  familiar  throughout 
the  northwest. 


CHAPTER  II. 

SHORTLY  after  the  battle  on  Sweetwater,  with  a  party  of 
four  others,  Frank  was  hunting  on  Stinking  Water,  and 
was  again  attacked  by  twenty  or  more  Sioux.  Thistimer 
however,  he  sought  no  protection,  but,  without  giving 
his  companions  time  to  consider,  he  ordered  a  charge  and 
rode  with  all  speed  toward  the  Indians  ;  his  daring  act 
inspired  those  that  were  with  him,  and  a  more  gallant 
charge  was  never  made  than  that  which  here  followed, 
Taking  the  bridle  reins  in  his  teeth,  with  a  revolver  in 
each  hand  and  carbine  caught  fast  in  the  saddle  seat 
before  him,  his  appearance  was  sufficient  to  inspire  anj* 
painter.  Fierce  as  a  wounded  panther,  and  shooting 
with  rattling  rapidity,  the  five  men  rode  up  to  and  over 
the  Sioux  before  they  had  time  to  think  of  their  enemy's 
action,  least  anticipating  anything  but  retreat  from  so 
small  a  number.  Seven  of  the  Indians  were  killed  iu 
this  attack  and  as  many  more  were  wounded.  Had  not 
the  others  fled  their  entire  party  would  certainly  have 
been  annihilated.  But  of  such  fights  I  might  describe 
scores,  actual  rencontres  which  occurred  on  the  Beaver  > 
Platte,  Republican,  Solomon,  Arrickaree,  Niobrara, 
Prairie-dog  Nose,  and  other  creeks  upon  which  it  was* 
the  custom  of  Frank  Powell  to  hunt  and  scout. 

Being  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  even  at  this  early 
age,  Frank  was  appointed  District  Deputy  Grand  Mastei 


LIFE    OF   WHITE    BEAVER. 


543 


544  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

of  Masons  for  Nebraska,  Colorado,  and  Wyoming,  and 
in  1869  conferred  the  Master's  degree  upon  Buffalo  Bill 
at  Platte  Valley  Lodge,  Cotton  wood  Springs. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1869,  although  Frank  had  neve* 
been  to  a  regular  school  one  day  in  all  his  life,  he  sub 
mitted  to  a  competitive  examination,  with  thirteen  othei 
candidates,  for  a  beneficiary  scholarship  in  the  University 
of  Louisville.  This  examination  was  made  in  pursuance 
of  a  rule  of  the  college  which  admitted,  free  of  matricu- 
lation expense,  one  scholar  from  each  state,  the  candidate 
being  selected  by  a  board  of  examiners  in  the  respective 
states,  Gen.  Estabrook,  the  eminent  jurist,  being  presi- 
dent of  the  Nebraska  board.  With  the  disadvantages 
against  him,  Frank  carried  off  the  honors  and  thus 
became  admitted  to  the  college  as  a  beneficiary  student. 
He  spent  the  years  1869  (latter  part  of),  1870-71  at  the 
medical  department  of  the  college,  and  by  performing 
the  duties  of  janitor  paid  his  expenses  ;  before  graduating 
he  was  made  assistant  demonstrator  of  anatomy,  and 
upon  finishing  his  course  was  pressed  to  take  a  professor- 
ship. But  his  desire  for  a  wild  life,  the  lonesomeness  of 
a  large  city  to  him,  and  the  proffer  of  a  position  as  post-* 
surgeon  from  Gen.  Joseph  B.  Brown,  medical  director  of 
the  Department  of  the  Platte,  induced  him  to  decline  the 
former  honor  and  take  the  latter.  As  a  recognition  of 
his  learning  and  the  high  social  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  at  the  college,  he  was  chosen  as  valedictorian  of  his 
class  and  acquitted  himself  with  such  merit  that  his 
address  was  printed  in  hundreds  of  newspapers.  It  was 
thus  he  started  life  as  an  M.  D.  ;  but,  aside  from  the 
prestige  which  his  college  course  and  graduation  g^ve 
him,  Dr.  Powell  owes  most  of  his  success  as  a  physician 
to  the  teachings  of  his  mother ;  this  fact  is  attested 
largely  by  the  results  of  his  practice  before  he  received 
hia  degrees  -  ^ 


LIFE   OF   WHITE    BEAVER.  545 

While  attending  college  in  Louisville  Dr.  Powell  went 
through  the  ordeal  of  a  duel  with  Dr.  Louis  Oppeuheimer, 
a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  same  college,  which 
created  a  very  great  excitement  at  the  time  and  led  to 
the  publication  of  many  accounts  of  the  affair,  few  of 
which  were  correct.  The  facts  are  easily  accessible,  as 
Dr.  Oppenheimer  is  still  living  and  practicing  medicine 
in  Indiana,  possibly  in  Seymour.  A  bitter  feeling  arose 
between  the  two,  consequent  upon  an  insult  which  it  was 
alleged  Dr.  Oppenheimer  gave  to  a  lady  friend  of  Dr. 
Powell's.  The  reported  insult  may  have  been  exaggerated 
by  officious  persons,  but  Dr.  Powell  felt  that  it  was  his 
duty  to  protect  the  lady,  and  therefore,  according  to  the 
ethics  of  Kentucky  aristocracy,  he  sent  a  challenge  to 
Dr.  Oppenheimer,  which  was  accepted.  The  latter, 
having  the  selection  of  place  and  weapons,  chose  the 
dissecting  room  of  the  college,  which  was  on  the  fifth 
floor,  and  for  weapons  pistols  were  named.  There  was 
a  ghastly  feature  about  this  duel  which  made  it  unique, 
but  fortunately  it  was  not  fatal .  The  dissecting  room  of 
a  college  is,  perhaps,  of  all  places,  the  one  most  suitable 
for  a  reflection  on  death  and  its  terrible  consequences. 
There  was  a  gruesome  suggestiveness  to  Dr.  Powell  that 
his  antagonist  felt  certain  of  his  aim  and  had  an  ambition 
to  dissect  his  victim  ;  but  if  so  it  did  not  come  to  pass  as 
the  challenged  party  hoped,  if  not  anticipated. 

The  combatants  repaired  to  the  room  selected  some 
time  after  nightfall,  accompanied  by  their  seconds.  A 
distance  of  ten  paces  was  cleared  by  removing  tables  on 
which  reposed  dead  bodies  in  various  stages  of  dissection, 
and  the  principals  then  took  their  places.  Dr.  Al. 
Blakely,  now  a  practicing  physician  in  New  York,  ar- 
ranged the  preliminaries  by  first  placing  the  principals 
back  to  back,  with  instructions  that  at  his  word  they 


546 


HEKOES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 


were  to  walk  apart  until  reaching  the  positions  assigned 
to  them,  when,  at  the  word  "  fire,"  they  were  to  wheel 
and  discharge  their  weapons.  When  the  two  took  their 
first  positions  Dr.  BUikcly  turned  down  the  gas  until  ob- 
jects in  the  room  were  scarcely  perceptible.  When  they 


had  walked  apart  to  their  positions,  the  gas  was  turned 
on  again  and  the  command  to  fire  was  given.  At  the 
first  discharge  Dr.  Powell  was  shot  in  the  left  forearm, 
while  a  ball  from  his  pistol  grazed  Dr.  Oppenheimer's 
cheek.  Friends  of  both  parties  acknowledged  satisfac- 
tion, but  Dr.  Powell  demanded  a  second  fire,  which,  of 


LIFE   OF  WHITE   BEAVER.  547 

course,  was  accorded.  The  same  rules  were  again  ob- 
served, and  the  result  this  time  was  more  serious  than 
before ;  for,  though  Dr.  Powell  escaped,  Dr.  Oppen- 
heimer  received  a  bullet  in  his  right  shoulder,  shattering 
the  bone  and  rendering  his  pistol  arm  useless.  His  com- 
batant being  thus  disabled,  Dr.  Powell  could  not  ask  for 
another  fire,  and  thus  the  duel  terminated,  not  fatally, 
but  seriously.  Dr.  Powell  carries  a  scar  from  the  wound 
thus  received,  while  Dr.  Oppenheimer  has  never  regained 
the  full  use  of  his  right  shoulder. 

After  his  appointment  as  post-surgeon,  Dr.  Powell 
was  located  at  Fort  McPherson  ;  he  was  changed  from 
there  some  time  afterward  to  North  Platte  Barracks, 
thence  to  Camp  Stambaugh,  Fort  Laramie,  and  other 
posts,  at  each  place  becoming  a  great  favorite.  Tiring 
of  garrison  life  in  its  endless  and  unvarying  duties  for  a 
surgeon,  the  Doctor  asked  for  and  was  granted  permis- 
sion to  take  the  field  with  the  soldiers  when  sent  out  upon 
campaigns.  This  gave  opportunity,  for  which  he  thirsted, 
to  participate  in  numerous  fights  with  the  Indians,  and  so 
eagerly  did  he  embrace  it  that  his  superiors  found  fault 
with  him  for  always  being  in  front  when  a  battle  was 
waging,  rather  than  in  the  rear  attending  to  the  wounded. 
.  The  numerous  dashing  escapades  in  which  Dr.  Powell 
has  figured,  both  as  principal  and  participator,  cannot  be 
chronologically  given,  for  the  reason  that  he  never  kept 
a  diary,  nor  has  he  ever  made  any  attempt  to  preserve 
them  in  his  memory ;  besides,  being  supersensitive,  it  is 
only  by  the  greatest  exertion  that  he  can  be  induced  to 
speak  of  himself.  Therefore,  the  few  I  here  record  are 
adventures  which  I  have  had  described  chiefly  by  others, 
who  were  witnesses  of  the  incidents  themselves,  or  who 
received  the  accounts  from  those  who  were. 

As  an  illustration  of  his  sympathy  and  generous  nature, 


548  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

the  following  is  told  of  him  by  Buffalo  Bill.  In  the  year 
1873,  just  after  returning  to  Fort  McPherson  from  a 
scouting  expedition  among  the  Sioux,  and  when  almost 
exhausted  from  hard  riding  with  Capt.  Meinhold,  of  the 
Third  Cavalry,  Dr.  Powell  was  called  upon  by  a  half- 
breed,  who  begged  him  to  attend  immediately  upon  the 
daughter  of  Moran,  the  French  scout,  known  as  Iron 
Leg,  who  had  been  bitten  by  a  Massasanger  rattlesnake. 

Without  waiting  to  dismount,  he  dashed  off  to  Moran' s 
ranche,  two  miles  from  the  fort.  Keaching  the  cabin,  he 
found  the  girl  in  a  rapidly-sinking  condition,  her  leg  that 
was  bitten  being  swollen  to  twice  its  natural  size.  He 
took  a  bottle  of  brandy  and  forced  it  down  the  girl's 
throat,  after  which  he  made  an  incision  into  the  leg  where 
the  bite  was  received,  and,  applying  his  lips  to  the  wound, 
sucked  it  for  nearly  an  hour,  and  until  no  more  blood 
could  be  drawn  from  it.  This  truly  heroic  act  saved  the 
girl's  life,  but  it  greatly  jeopardized  his  own.  His  lips, 
which  had  been  chapped,  became  dreadfully  swollen,  and 
the  poison  in  his  system  showed  its  work  in  various  ways, 
but  through  his  own  skill  in  medicine  he  recovered.  The 
young  girl  thus  rescued  from  death  gave  the  Doctor  her 
pet  antelope,  which  she  prized  above  all  other  things  ;  a 
refusal  to  accept  it  seemed  to  cause  her  grief,  as  she  de- 
sired to  attest  her  thankfulness,  and  the  Doctor  therefore 
kept  it.  Having  grown  to  womanhood,  she  is  now  a  sis- 
ter-in-law of  Leon  Pallerday,  official  interpreter,  with 
whom  she  is  living,  with  her  sister,  at  Rosebud  Agency. 

For  many  years  Dr.  Powell  has  been  known  as  White 
Beaver,  a  name  which  sticks  to  him  with  the  tenacity  that 
Buffalo  Bill  does  to  Cody.  This  appellation  the  Doctor 
received  under  the  following  circumstances,  as  he  related 
them  to  me  himself. 

Rocky  Bear,  a  Ke-uck-se,  or  "Cut-Off"  Sioux  Indian^ 


LIFE    OF   WHITE   BEAVER.  549 

bad  a  daughter  whom  he  called  Muz-zas-ka,  meaning 
White  Metal,  whom  he  loved  with  an  affection  rarely  ex- 
hibited among  the  tribe.  She  was  not  so  pretty  as  some 
Indian  maidens  are  described  to  be,  but  she  was  neverthe- 
less her  father's  pride.  This  young  girl,  about  eighteen 
years  of  age,  was  stricken  down  with  malarial  fever,  which 
became  aggravated  by  reason  of  the  treatment  which  she 
received.  It  has  been  an  ancient  practice  among  Indians, 
and  is  so  among  not  a  few  tribes  even  to-day,  to  treat 
their  sick  by  incantation  and  noisy  ceremony,  attributing 
disease  to  the  influence  of  an  evil  spirit,  which  they  seek 
to  propitiate.  In  the  instance  now  being  noted,  the  In- 
dians had  for  several  days  been  chanting  their  doleful 
songs,  and  making  a  terrible  noise  with  gourds,  partly 
filled  with  shot,  over  the  girl.  This  tumult,  of  course, 
only  served  to  excite  the  patient,  and  arrest  any  natural 
tendency  there  might  have  been  in  the  favorable  condition 
of  the  disease.  The  girl,  therefore,  was  given  over  to 
die  ;  she  had  become  first  delirious,  and  then  almost  com- 
atose. She  was  in  this  condition  when  Dr.  Powell,  by 
accident,  came  into  the  Indian  camp.  Hearing  a  death- 
chant  near  where  he  stopped,  he  inquired  the  cause,  and 
learning  all  the  facts,  he  went  to  the  patient,  and  after 
making  an  examination,  told  Rocky  Bear  that  the  girl 
might  be  saved,  which  information  gave  the  Indian  great 
joy,  and  he  begged  the  Doctor  to  treat  her,  offering  every- 
thing he  had  on  earth  if  a  cure  were  accomplished.  Dr, 
Powell  then  dismissed  the  chanters,  and,  admonishing 
quiet  under  all  circumstances,  treated  the  girl  so  effect- 
ively that  he  soon  had  her  well  again.  The  gratitude  of 
Rocky  Bear  was  unbounded,  and  to  prove  this  he  pre- 
sented to  the  Doctor  a  white  beaver  skin,  which,  among 
Indians,  is  regarded  with  reverential  awe  and  supersti- 
tious veneration,  similar  to  the  estimation  in  which  white 
33 


•550  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS, 

elephants  are  held  by  the  Siamese.  In  making  tb3  pres- 
ent, Rocky  Bear  also  gave  Dr.  Powell  the  Indian  name, 
*<8hoppa-8k<xS9  the  Sioux  for  White  Beaver,  which  be- 
stowal was  because  his  mother  was  known  to  be  a  mem- 
txa^  of  the  Beaver  Senecas. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  manner  in  which  White  Beaver,  as  he  must  now  bv. 
known,  nurses  his  wrath  and  vengeance  is  illustrated  in 
the  following  incident,  which  occurred  in  1867,  and  was 
correctly  reported  at  the  time  for  a  Western  paper  (the 
clipping  from  which  lies  before  me,  but  name  detached) 
by  an  eye-witness. 

About  the  year  1865,  White  Beaver,  being  always  a 
favorite  with  the  ladies,  was  paying  attentions  to  a  very 
estimable  young  lady,  not  with  any  view  to  matrimony, 
but  because  her  society  was  agreeable.  In  the  same  town 
were  two  brothers  named  Royall,  who  were  handsome, 
well-dressed  fellows,  but  of  a  dissolute  character,  and 
whose  pride  was  in  the  destruction  of  female  innocence. 
These  two  men  were  both  seeking  the  ruin  of  the  young 
lady  referred  to,  who,  being  a  widow's  daughter,  and 
without  brothers  to  defend  her,  became  an  object  of  their 
special  concern.  Their  character,  however,  was  so  well 
disclosed  to  the  young  lady  by  White  Beaver  that  she  re- 
pelled their  addresses.  Finding  that  their  specious  wiles 
were  unavailing,  the  two  concocted  a  diabolical  plot  to  for- 
cibly accomplish  their  base,  lecherous  desires.  The  young 
lady  was  lured  from  her  home  by  a  female  companion, 
and  in  a  covert  to  which  she  was  carried  the  poor  girl  was 
sacrificed.  When  White  Beaver  learned  these  facts,  ho 


LIFE   OF   WHITE    BEAVER.  551 

sought  the  impious  wretches,  but  they  had  flown.  Day 
and  night  he  seemed  to  hear  the  plead  ings  of  that  terribly 
wronged  girl ;  he  took  upon  himself  the  grievance  of  a 
brother,  and  in  the  saddle  he  sought  the  villains.  Years 
went  by,  and  yet  they  could  not  be  found  ;  he  was  anx- 
ious lest  one  or  both  of  them  might  die  before  he  could 
avenge  the  girl ;  but  it  was  not  so  destined.  There  was 
a  day  of  reckoning,  and  it  came  about  in  this  way  :  White 
Beaver  was  with  the  Indians  near  Sand  Creek  ford,  on 
the  Arrickaree,  and  while  in  camp  one  evening  an  Indian 
came  in  telling  of  two  strangers  whom  he  had  met  at  a 
ranche  a  few  miles  distant.  His  description  of  the  men 
led  White  Beaver  to  believe  they  were  the  Royall  broth- 
ers. So  fixed  was  he  in  this  belief  that  on  the  following 

o 

morning  he  took  up  his  Winchester,  and  started  over  to 
the  ranche.  Just  before  reaching  the  cabin,  he  saw  two 
horsemen,  and,  riding  near  them,  was  gratified  to  see 
that  his  suspicions  as  to  their  identity  were  correct.  He 
made  a  circuit  to  head  them  off,  for  they  had  discovered 
who  he  was,  and  rightly  divined  his  intentions  ;  but,  be- 
ing two  to  one,  they  sought  no  means  to  avoid  a  meeting. 
A  few  minutes  elapsed,  when  White  Beaver  was  within 
rifle  range,  and,  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  dismounting,  both 
the  brothers  fired  at  him.  Their  shots,  however,  were 
without  effect.  Then  the  Beaver  fired,  and  had  the  sat- 
isfaction of  seeing  one  of  them,  Oliver,  fall  dead  ;  a  sec- 
ond shot  wounded  the  other  one,  but  did  not  unhorse  him, 
and  he  made  good  his  escape.  The  shooting  attracted 
the  men  at  the  ranche  at  which  the  brothers  had  stopped 
over  night,  and  three  of  them  came  down  to  where  the 
dead  body  of  Royall  lay,  and  took  charge  of  it.  White 
Beaver  only  turned  the  dead  man  over  to  be  certain  he 
had  made  no  mistake,  and  satisfying  himself,  he  rode  again 
to  the  Indian  camp,  without  making  any  explanation  of 


552  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

his  conduct.  The  paper  that  published  an  account  of 
duel  condemned  White  Beaver,  but  afterward,  learning 
all  the  circumstances,  an  article  was  published  applauding 
the  act. 

The  surviving  brother  rode  on  to  Elm  Creek  Station 
where  he  appeared  four  days  after  the  affray,  and  there 
made  affidavit  that  his  brother  had  been  killed  and  him- 
self wounded  by  Dr.  D.  F.  Powell,  "  White  Beaver," 
but  he  refused  to  give  his  name.  This  is  the  first  time 
that  the  full  particulars  of  this  tragic  incident  have  been 
published. 

After  the  killing  of  Oliver  Roy  all,  White  Beaver  con- 
nected himself  with  a  band  of  Cut  Off  Sioux,  who  were 
under  the  leadership  of  Rocky  Bear.  This  branch  of  the 
great  tribe  was  called  "  Cut  Off"'  because  they  had  with- 
drawn themselves  from  all  connection  with  the  tribe,  and 
literally  became  bandits  of  the  prairie,  engaging  in  pred- 
atory excursions,  chiefly  against  the  Arrapahoes  and 
Cheyennes.  Their  object  was  to  capture  whatever  of 
property  they  could  take  from  these  tribes,  and  their  en- 
gagement therefore  became  one  of  war  and  reprisal. 

At  this  time  White  Beaver  never  expected  to  enter  the 
borders  of  civilization  again  ;  he  had  met  with  reverses, 
which  came  as  a  natural  consequence ;  his  associations 
were  all  of  the  lawless  class,  and  he  drifted  away  from 
wholesome  influences,  until  his  nature  blended  with  that 
of  the  wild  savages  with  whom  he  allied  his  fate.  The 
Cut  Offs  were  desperadoes,  daring  to  a  fault,  reckless 
and  remorseless.  Following  these  Indian  devastators, 
White  Beaver  was  led  into  many  fearful  contests  and 
slaughters,  frightful  to  contemplate.  In  one  of  these 
onslaughts  he  was  badly  wounded,  and  for  a  time  his  life 
was  dispaired  of,  but  a  rugged  constitution  and  excellent 
care  from  a  devoted  mother  brought  about  his  recovery, 


LIFE    OF   WHITE    BEAVER.  55S 

and  the  results  which  followed  are  given  in  the  chronicles 
of  his  after  life — a  reformed  and  useful  man. 

The  details  of  the  light  referred  to  are  briefly  told : 
White  Beaver,  with  Eocky  Bear  and  his  clan  of  Indian 
adventurers,  was  in  camp  on  the  South  Platte  River,  in 
the  summer  of  1876,  waiting,  like  a  crafty  spider  for 
victims  to  fall  into  his  web.  A  party  of  fifty  or  more 
Arrapahoe  Indians  were  seen  far  to  the  south,  crossing  a 
prairie  butte  with  a  herd  of  horses.  This  was  the  game  for 
which  the  Cut  Offs  were  watching  ;  every  one  was  quickly 
mounted  and  pursuit  given,  expecting  to  have  a  hard  ride 
after  a  band  of  fugitives  ;  but  the  Arrapahoes  refused  to 
be  intimidated,  since  the  numbers  on  each  side  were  about 
equal,  and,  as  it  proved,  they  were  both  war  parties.  A 
lively  dash  over  the  prairie  soon  brought  the  two  tribes 
into  a  collision  that  was  indeed  war  to  the  knife,  and 
knife  to  the  hilt.  White  Beaver  was  one  of  the  bravest 
and  most  active  participants,  killing  several  Arrapahoes 
and  scalping  them  in  a  running  fight  from  his  horse. 

His  attention  was  particularly  attracted  to  a  powerful 
brave  whose  long  lance  was  decorated  with  a  score  or 
more  scalps,  indicative  of  his  prowess  and  valor  ;  to  over- 
come this  stalwart  warrior,  at  oncq  the  hero  and  pride  of 
the  Arrapahoes,  became  W^hite  Beaver's  ambition,  and 
through  the  excited  ranks  of  both  sides  he  dashed  on  his 
fiery  pony  towards  the  Indian  who  was  striking  the  Cut 
Offs  with  direful  execution.  As  White  Beaver  swiftly 
advanced,  he  drew  his  revolver  and  tried  to  shoot,  but 
every  chamber  in  his  pistol  had  been  discharged,  a  fact 
of  which  he  was  in  ignorance,  and  he  had  no  time  to 
draw  another  weapon.  As  the  horses  of  the  two  com- 
batants came  together,  the  Indian  made  a  vicious  thrust 
with  his  long,  keenly  pointed  lance,  but  instead  of  impal- 
ing his  antagonist,  as  he  intended,  his  horse  reared  so  that 


554 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


the  lance  struck  White  Beaver  in  the  left  thigh,  cleaving 
the  sciatic  nerve  and  cutting  an  artery  from  which  a  tor- 
rent of  blood  spouted.  The  first  sensation  was  that  of 


extreme  pain,  which  lasted  but  a  moment,  when  a  dazed 
feeling  succeeded  that  served  to  deceive  White  Beaver  as 
to  the  extent  of  his  injury ;  he  therefore  continued  fight- 


LIFE   OF  WHTTE   BEAVER.  555 

ing  until  almost  exhausted  from  the  loss  of  blood ;  hi» 
horse  was  shot  dead ,  and  he  himself  being  too  weak  to  rise 
again,  several  Arrapahoes  rushed  upon  him  to  secure  his 
scalp,  but  he  had  another  pistol  with  which  he  defended 
himself  most  valorously  and  effectively.  Rocky  Bear, 
endeared  to  White  Beaver  by  the  strongest  ties,  for  saving 
his  daughter's  life,  as  already  described,  came  to  the  as- 
sistance of  his  suffering  friend,  and,  having  killed  th<* 
Indian  who  gave  him  such  a  dreadful  lance  thrust,  rallied 
a  number  of  his  braves  to  the  rescue,  and  the  Indians 
surrounding  White  Beaver  were  beaten  back  and  the  vic- 
tory was  finally  won  by  the  Cut  Offs,  but  at  the  sacrifice 
of  nearly  one-half  their  number,  who  lay  dead  upon  the 
field.  Being  in  the  vicinity  of  his  mother's  home,  White 
Beaver,  now  unconscious,  was  placed  upon  a  swinging 
litter  carried  between  two  horses,  and  thus  conveyed  to 
his  mother's  ranche,  where  he  lingered  between  life  and 
death  for  many  days,  but  finally  recovered. 

Under  his  mother's  influence  White  Beaver  resolved  to 
enter  upon  a  plan  of  usefulness,  and  abandon  the  wild 
and  savage  career  and  associates  from  which  he  had  been 
providentially  separated. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

DURING  the  time  that  he  was  post  surgeon  at  Camp 
Stambaugh,  a  border  tragedy  was  enacted,  in  which  he 
was  a  principal  by  reason  of  a  difficulty  which  was  forced 
upon  him.  The  Beaver,  with  his  brother  George,  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Morse,  Dwight  Brafit,  and  two  others 
went  out  hunting  and  stopped  at  a  stage  ranche  near 
Slade's  old  camp  ;  the  party  sat  down  in  the  saloon  that 


556  HEROES   OF  THE  PLAINS. 

was  kept  there  and  began  a  game  of  draw  poker.  The 
game  had  proceeded  only  a  short  time  when  it  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  entry  and  riotous  conduct  of  Jim  Dyson 
and  a  band  of  desperadoes  from  Utah.  They  were 
determined  upon  a  row,  and  in  order  to  precipitate  a 
disturbance  they  ordered  the  game  of  poker  to  be  re- 
sumed and  that  he  should  take  a  hand.  White  Beaver 
refused  to  do  this,  whereupon  Dyson  drew  his  revolver 
with  the  determination  of  killing  some  person.  He  had 
only  discharged  one  shot,  without  effect,  however,  when 
White  Beaver  seized  his  Winchester  and  with  it  struck 
Dyson  a  blow  on  the  head,  which  crushed  the  fellow's 
skull  so  that  he  died  within  an  hour.  The  others,  seeing 
their  leader  fall  by  the  hand  of  our  hero,  made  a  hasty 
retreat,  but  several  were  helped  out  of  the  cabin  in  a 
very  familiar,  not  to  say  expeditious,  manner. 

Massacre  Canon  is  the  name  given  by  White  Beaver  to  a 
deep  gorge  in  the  North  Phitte  River  where  was  enacted 
one  of  the  most  atrocious  butcheries  that  has  ever  found 
record  in  border  history. 

In  the  spring  of  1877  White  Beaver  was  out  on  a  scout- 
ing campaign  with  a  company  of  soldiers  from  Camp 
Stambaugh,  under  command  of  Capt.  Meinhold.  The 
Cheyennes  had  become  troublesome,  stealing  stock  and 
occasionally  killing  settlers,  and  there  were  threatenings 
that  they  intended  soon  to  go  on  the  war-path.  The 
expedition  was  intended  more  to  intimidate  than  to  pun- 
ish, as  Indian  war  always  results  in  the  killing  of  not  a 
few  defenceless  people,  including  women  and  children. 

The  expedition  had  been  out  for  several  days,  meeting 
an  occasional  burnt  cabin  and  other  evidences  of  Indian 
devilment,  when  at  length  they  struck  a  fresh  trail  lead- 
ing up  the  iiv£,r  baiiK  indicating  a  war  party  of  about  one 
hundred  Cheyennes.  As  the  trail  grew  plainer  tne  uroofs 


LIFE    OF    WHITE    BEAVER. 


557 


increased  that  the  Indians  were  in  open  hostility,  their 
outrages  being  now  plainly  apparent.  As  the  company 
reached  a  point  overlooking  the  gorge  referred  to  a  dread- 


ful sight  in  the  valley  below  .net  their  gaze  ;  there  were 
broken  emigrant  wagons,  a  smouldering  camp-fire,  and 
no  less  than  fifteen  emigrants  lying  dead  and  frightfully 
mutilated.  The  Indians  had  evidently  surprised  the  little 


558  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS. 

party  and  with  most  malignant  cruelty  had  butchered 
every  one  of  them,  adding  to  death  a  horrible  feature  of 
the  scalping  knife. 

A  grave  was  dug  by  the  soldiers,  in  which  the  mutila- 
ted emigrants  were  placed  and  then  covered  to  protect 
the  bodies  from  coyotes  ;  this  required  but  a  short  while 
and  after  its  completion  the  company  started  in  active 
pursuit  of  the  Indians.  No  doubt  anticipating  that  a  ne- 
mesis would  be  on  their  track  the  Indians  marched  so 
rapidly  that  it  was  not  until  the  second  day  after  the 
massacre  that  Capt.  Meinhold's  company  overtook  them. 
The  Indians  were  just  going  into  camp  late  in  the  even- 
ing, when  their  presence  was  discovered  and  with  a  whoop 
the  soldiers,  headed  by  White  Beaver,  rushed  upon  the 
murderous  red-skins.  There  was  a  rattle  of  small  arms 
that  meant  terrible  execution,  and  the  Indians  being  sur- 
prised their  defense  was  of  little  consequence.-  White 
Betivor  killed  no  less  than  ten  of  the  Cheyennes,  but  he 
was  himself  badly  wounded  in  the  groin,  being  struck  with 
a  charge  from  a  shot-gun.  This  wound  laid  him  up  for 
nearly  two  months,  but  while  the  fight  lasted  he  gave  no 
attention  to  anything  save  the  enemy,  fully  one-half  of 
whom  were  killed,  the  remainder  escaping  through  their 
woodscraft. 

The  manner  in  which  White  Beaver  became  medicine 
man  of  the  Winnebago-Sioux  Indians  is  thus  'related  by 
himself:  "In  1876  I  was  on  a  deer  hunt  in  the  pine 
forests  above  Black  River  Falls.  It  has  been  my  custom 
to  take  a  hunt  every  year,  and  usually  I  visit  the  Indian 
camps  to  be  of  assistance  if  any  is  needed,  and  because  I 
like  to  be  brought  in  contact  with  the  Indian  character. 
It  chanced  that  while  on  this  hunt  old  Wee-noo-sheik, 
head  chief  of  the  Winnebago  nation,  was  very  sick, 
suffering  from  fever  and  old  wounds.  His  medicine 


LIFE    OF    WHITE    BEAVER.  559 

men  had  been  unable  to  relieve  him,  and,  learning  that 
I  was  in  his  vicinity,  he  sent  out  several  of  his  tribe  to 
search  for  me  and  beg  me  to  come  to  him.  I  was  easily 
found,  and  to  their  importunities  I  readily  assented. 
Once  within  his  camp  he  told  me  I  should  not  go  out 
again  until  he  was  cured-  Inasmuch  as  it  is  not  an 
uncommon  thing  for  chiefs  to  order  the  execution  of  a 
medicine  man  who  fails  to  cure  distinguished  patients  of 
the  tribe,  I  was  not  in  a  very  rapturous  frame  of  mind 
when  I  took  charge  of  Wee-noo-sheik.  His  condition 
became  a  matter  of  extreme  importance  to  me,  though  I 
betrayed  no  feeling  of  anxiety,  as  I  did  not  regard  the 
case  as  a  very  dangerous  one  in  the  beginning,  but  I  gave 
him  my  very  best  professional  services.  He  did  not  re- 
cover as  rapidly  so  I  wished,  or  expected,  but  in  about 
three  weeks  the  old  chief  was  able  to  go  out  of  the  teepee 
again  and  resume  his  usual  occupations,  smoking  and 
hunting.  Directly  after  his  recovery  he  called  a  council 
of  his  people,  at  which,  with  much  ceremony,  I  was  for- 
mally adopted  into  the  tribe  and  made  medicine  chief  of 
the  nation,  a  position  which  I  still  ostensibly  hold." 

In  1877  White  Beaver  removed  to  Lanesboro,  Minne- 
sota, where  he  established  himself  as  a  practicing  physi- 
cian, and  soon  there  came  to  him  more  patients  than  he 
could  accommodate.  His  fame  as  a  skilful  surgeon  had 
grown  until  it  spread  over  the  entire  northwest,  and  there 
was  little  need  for  him  to  make  special  efforts  to  enlarge 
his  professional  calls.  But,  like  nearly  all  western  char- 
acters, he  had  dropped  into  the  customs  of  army  officers, 
who,  to  dissipate  the  tedium  of  camp  life,  in  the  absence 
of  all  refining  influence,  dissipate  themselves.  This  was 
very  unfortunate  for  him,  because  of  the  disposition 
which  came  uppermost  when  under  the  influence  of 
drink.  He  is  no  longer  a  victim  of  this  vice,  but,  being 


560  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

at  all  times  as  frank  as  his  name,  with  never  anything  to 
conceal,  he  often  speaks  of  regretful  adventures  which 
he  might  have  escaped.  Notwithstanding  his  occasional 
sprees,  the  people  of  Lanesboro  were  warmly  attached  to 
him,  and  when  two  years  ago  he  decided  to  leave  there 
for  more  fertile  fields,  a  petition  was  gotten  up  and 
signed  by  every  person  in  town  beseeching  him  to  remain 
with  them. 

While  practicing  in  Lanesboro  he  was  called  profes- 
sionally to  Elliota,  a  small  town  in  Fillmore  County,  and 
while  there  he  became  involved  in  a  quarrel  with  a  large 
and  powerful  Norwegian,  a  desperado  of  well  earned 
reputation  as  a  fighter  and  man-slayer.  An  insult  had 
been  given  which  White  Beaver  resented  with  a  blow  of 
his  fist ;  the  Norwegian  quickly  drew  a  large  dagger  and 
made  an  overhand  strike,  but  the  knife  was  arrested  by 
catching  on  the  two  first  fingers  of  White  Beaver's  left 
hand,  chopping  a  large  piece  of  flesh  from  the  first  finger 
and  splitting  the  middle  one  its  entire  length.  At  -the 
second  stroke  he  caught  the  knife  blade  squarely  in  his 
right  hand  so  that  the  guard  stuck  in  the  lorwer  portion 
and  the  blade  ran  across,  the  edge  inward.  No  one  can 
imagine  a  more  cruel  grip,  for  the  knife  cut  with  a  grind- 
ing, crunching  noise,  through  flesh  and  tendon  and  almost 
through  the  bones  themselves.  Here  was  a  test  of  nerve 
rarely,  if  ever  before,  exhibited  ;  a  man  who  can  hold  n 
sharp  dagger  in  his  hand  while  his  combatant  is  wrench- 
ing and  trying  to  make  the  knife  cut  its  way  out,  cer- 
tainly has  a  marvelous  amount  of  reserve  force.  But 
White  Beaver  knew  that  his  only  hope  lay  in  preventing 
the  knife  from  being  wrenched  from  his  grasp,  so  he 
heroically  held  out  until,  by  reaching  with  his  bleeding 
left  hand  back  and  around  his  own  body  to  the  right  side, 
he  drew  a  revolver  from  his  bek  and  quickly  shot  three 


LIFE    OF   WHITE    BEAVER 


561 


bullets  into  the  Norwegian's  abdomen  with  deadly  effect. 
White  Beaver's  hand  will  always  remain  badly  disfigured 
from  the  knife  wounds  which  he  received  in  this  desp<y 
ate  encounter. 


COMBAT  WITH  THE  NORWEGIAN. 


Jtn  1879,  while  still  a  resident  of  Lanesboro,  a  party  of 
Indians  visited  White  Beaver  and  made  their  camp  about 


562  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

hvo  miles  from  the  town,  on  Root  River.  On  the  night 
of  their  arrival  White  Beaver  paid  them  a  visit  in  com- 
pany with  a  young  man  named  Mack  Donaldson,  now 
a  resident  of  Sioux  Falls,  Dakota,  from  whom  I  learned 
the  particulars  of  the  affair  which  follows  :  The  Beaver 
shook  hands  and  spoke  to  several  of  the  Indians  in  their 
native  tongue,  a  language  which  he  converses  in  with  the 
same  fluency  as  in  English.  All  the  Indians  seemed  de- 
lighted to  see  him,  save  one,  who  sat  apart  from  the  rest, 
with  his  features  hidden  under  a  large  red  blanket.  Upon 
inquiring  the  cause  of  his  sulkiness,  Big  Fire,  a  chief, 
told  White  Beaver  that  the  man  was  a  Sioux  who  had 
married  a  Winnebago  squaw,  and  was  going  with  them  to 
see  her  at  Black  River  Falls.  The  Beaver  then  approached 
the  disguised  Indian  with  a  friendly  salutation,  to  which 
he  received  the  following  reply  :  "White  Beaver  had  bet- 
ter keep  his  voice  within  his  throat ;  Sioux  braves  do  not 
talk  to  pale-faced  long  knives  who  feast  on  cut-throat 
blood."  This  expression  cannot  be  well  understood 
without  some  explanation.  "Dakota,"  in  the  Sioux 
tongue,  signifies  "  cut-throats,"  by  which  name  the  Sioux 
call  themselves.  "  Melahoskas  "  is  the  Indian  expres- 
sion for  soldiers  who  carry  long  knives — swords.  This 
Indian  who  had  made  the  insulting  reply  to  White  Beaver, 
had  met  him  in  Dakota  during  a  war  between  the  soldiers 
and  the  Sioux  when  White  Beaver  fought  in  the  front 
ranks  ;  he  still  felt  angry,  ready  to  fight  on  small  provo- 
cation and  for  these  reasons  he  used  the  language  quoted. 
White  Beaver  pulled  aside  the  blanket  which  concealed 
the  Indian's  features  and  recognized  a  Sioux  belonging  to 
Crazy  Horse's  band,  and  an  Indian  with  whom  he  had 
had  some  trouble  in  1875.  When  the  blanket  was  drawn 
aside  the  Indian,  very  irate  at  the  act,  drew  a  revolver 
and  snapped  it  three  times  at  White  Beaver,  but  as  it  did 


LIFE    OF   WHITE    BEAVER.  563 

not  discharge  he  started  to  run.  Mack  Donaldson  fired  a 
small  pistol  at  the  Indian  without  noticeable  effect,  while 
White  Beaver  ran  to  a  log  on  which  he  had  laid  his  rifle 
and  as  the  Indian  plunged  into  the  water  he  fired,  sending 
a  bullet  through  his  victim's  body.  All  the  Indians  ap- 
peared glad  that  they  were  thus  rid  of  a  troublesome 
companion,  who  they  asserted  had  been  ugly  during  the 
entire  journey.  White  Beaver  and  Donaldson  recovered 
the  body  from  the  river  and  gave  it  secret  burial,  where 
it  no  doubt  still  lays. 

The  Indian  tribes  generally,  and  particularly  the  Sioux, 
are  governed  by  a  strict  but  unwritten  code  of  morals 
which  appear  baybaric  in  observance.  It  is  an  exception 
amounting  almost  to  curiosity — a  rara  avis — to  find  an 
Indian  who  will  no\  deal  when  opportunity  offers.  I,  of 
course,  refer  only  to  Indians  who  have  never  separated 
from  their  tribal  relations.  It  is  also  very  rare  to  find 
one  who  has  any  conception  of  truth  or  honor.  They 
are  uncleanly,  I  may  say  filthy,  have  little  or  no  regard 
for  their  conjugal  partners  as  a  rule,  expose  their  persons 
without  a  suggestion  of  modesty  ;  and  yet,  with  all  these 
brutalizing  instincts  they  observe  that  rigid  moral  senti- 
ment which  forbids  that  sensual  indulgence  so  common 
among  all  other  peoples.  There  are  such  beings  as  libid- 
inously  immoral  Indian  women,  but  they  are  singularly 
few,  a  fact  which  would  be  almost  remarkable  but  for  the 
punishment  that  is  provided  and  practiced  to  force  the 
women  to  be  virtuous.  It  is  not  always  that  such  cruel 
means  are  resorted  to,  but  on  the  other  hand  the  punish- 
ment is  not  infrequently  inflicted.  A  case  in  point  will 
serve  to  illustrate  the  barbarism  to  which  I  have  refer- 
ence. In  the  year  1878,  after  White  Beaver  had  returned 
to  civilization  again  to  pursue  his  professional  calling, 
upon  an  occasion  he  visited  a  band  of  Sioux  Indians  on 


564 


HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 


their  reservation  near  Cannon  Ball  Eiver.  It  chanced 
that  during  this  visit  an  Indian  girl  was  detected  in  a  fla- 
grant relation  with  a  young  buck,  and  as  the  discovery 


was  made  by  a  rejected  suitor  he  sought  his  revenge  by 
reporting  the  facts  to  his  chief.  The  girl  was  accordingly 
apprehended  and  the  proofs  being  incontestable  she  was 
duly  sentenced  to  death ;  the  manner  of  her  execution 


LIFE   OF   WHITE   BEAVER.  5G5 

was  decided  by  the  chief,  who  ordered  that  she  be  torn 
asunder  by  two  horses,  one  to  be  hitched  to  her  arms  and 
the  other  to  her  feet,  and  then  driven  apart.  This  exhi- 
bition of  cruel  savagery  was  prepared  for  and  was  upon 
the  point  of  being  carried  out  when  White  Beaver  inter- 
posed all  his  influence  as  a  medicine  chief,  to  which  he 
added  threats  of  speedy  punishment  of  the  chief  if  the 
intended  execution  were  not  prevented.  A  row  ensued,  in 
which  White  Beaver  killed  one  Indian  and  then  drew  his 
revolver  upon  the  chief,  declaring  his  intention  to  shoot  if 
further  molestation  occurred.  By  this  exhibition  of  bra- 
very, his  own  influence,  and  threats  that  the  government 
would  certainly  bring  the  offenders  to  a  dreadful  justice, 
he  at  length  prevailed  upon  the  Sioux  to  release  their  in- 
tended victim  and  send  her  out  of  the  camp.  This  rigid 
discipline  of  female  morals  has  such  an  effect  that  what- 
ever the  exposure  or  opportunity,  officers  and  soldiers  at 
the  frontier  posts  have  declared  to  me  that  a  dissolute  In- 
dian woman  is  rarely  seen  once  in  a  soldier's  lifetime,  a 
statement  which  mv  own  observation  leads  me  to  believe. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

IN  the  year  1878  White  Beaver  made  the  best  invest- 
ment of  his  life,  as  well  as  the  wisest ;  this  fortunate 
step  being  no  less  than  his  marriage  to  Miss  Bertie  Brock- 
way,  of  Minneapolis,  one  of  the  most  amiable  and  charm- 
ing little  women  I  ever  met ;  she  is  an  aggregation  of 
noble  characteristics,  such  as  serve  to  make  the  very 
name  of  woman  revered  by  gentlemen  who  can  appreciate 
so  God-like  a  creation.  The  refined,  cultured  influence 
of  this  lady  has  subdued  the  recklessness  of  her  husband, 
84 


566  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

and  subordinated  his  superficial  life  to  the  purer  and 
nobler  nature  which  lay  deep  within  him  ;  she  has  been 
to  him  like  the  sunlight  to  transplanted,  precious  seed 
that  had  before  sent  up  only  unattractive  shoots  in 
some  rocky,  shaded  place.  Instead  of  the  teepee  and 
smoke  from  the  camp-fire  which  once  he  courted,  White 
Beaver  now  lives  among  flower  beds,  rich  paintings,  mu- 
sic's soothing  and  elevating  influence,  in  a  home  where 
the  sunlight  of  a  high  life  streams  gloriously  upon  all  his 
surroundings,  and  where  the  chill  of  discontent  never  en- 
ters. Thus  has  his  wife  brought  him  back  to  what  he 
pined  for  but  never  before  understood,  love's  shrine,  and 
here  he  daily  makes  his  well  accepted  sacrifices. 

In  the  year  1881,  at  the  solicitation  of  Buffalo  Bill, 
White  Beaver  consented  to  make  a  short  tour  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  former's  theatrical  combination.  He  was  cast 
in  an  important  part,  and  though  wholly  without  prepar- 
ation, he  acted  it  with  credit.  It  was  through  his  influ- 
ence that  a  band  of  Winnebago  Sioux  Indians  were  se- 
cured to  travel  with  the  great  scout's  show,  and  thereby 
added  much  to  the  success  of  the  season.  The  tour  was 
not  without  its  incidents  ;  two  old  time  friends,  scouts, 
Indian  fighters  and  bordermen,  such  as  Buffalo  Bill  and 
White  Beaver  could  not  long  remain  together  without  giv- 
ing some  evidence  or  outcropping  of  their  previous  lives  ; 
both  being  men  of  iron  nerves,  fearless  under  all  condi- 
tions that  can  be  mentioned,  they  were  like  a  lion  that, 
long  caged,  is  loosed  again  in  his  native  jungle  :  he  first 
looks  dazed,  and  contemplates  his  suroundings  as  in  a 
dream,  then  plunges  headlong  into  covert  declaiming  to 
the  woodland  round  about  his  freedom.  From  stage  ac- 
cessories the  two  comrades  turned  instinctively  to  stories 
of  their  wonderful  adventures,  and  disported  again  in 
memory  on  the  great  plains  which  are  fast  becoming  a 


LIFE    OF    WHITE    BEAVER.  567 

mighty  harvest  field.  It  was  next  to  impossible  for  them, 
thus  associated,  to  confine  their  attention  to  the  enact- 
ment of  scenes  through  which  they  had  so  often  passed, 
and  it  was  for  this  reason,  being  ever  mindful  of  their 
restraints,  that  White  Beaver  returned  to  the  practice  of 
his  profession  before  the  season  was  concluded.  I  must 
chronicle  one  escapade,  however,  which  transpired  before 
he  gave  up  his  engagement :  While  the  company  wra-s 
playing  at  the  Olympic  Theater,  in  Chicago,  three  of  the 
Indians  became  drunk  and  began  to  have  a  grand  war 
dance  in  the  property  room  of  the  theater  during  the  per- 
formance ;  they  created  such  a  disturbance  that  several 
of  the  ladies  in  the  audience  became  very  much  fright- 
ened and  were  beginning  to  leave.  Buffalo  Bill  was  in 
the  middle  of  an  act,  so  White  Beaver  took  it  upon  him- 
self to  quell  the  noisey  savages.  He  thereupon  ran  down 
into  the  room  and  found  Long  Trailer,  Decorah,  and 
Brave  Bear  dancing  and  singing  a  war-song  with  vocifer- 
ous gusto.  The  Beaver  ordered  them  to  cease,  where- 
upon Long  Trailer  made  a  vicious  blow  at  him  with  a  war 
club.  White  Beaver  evaded  the  blow,  and  having  a 
heavily  loaded  whip  in  his  hand  struck  the  hostile  on  the 
head  and  laid  him  out  unconscious.  The  other  two  Indi- 
ans came  to  the  rescue  of  their  unfortunate  comrade,  but 
they  received  a  dose  fully  as  large  ;  at  this  juncture  Buf 
falo  Bill,  who  had  rung  down  the  curtain,  made  his  ap- 
pearance, and  in  less  time  than  the  facts  can  be  told  the 
three  Indians  were  bound  and  in  a  helpless  condition  on 
the  floor.  One  of  them  remained  with  Buffalo  Bill,  but 
the  other  two  returned  to  Wisconsin,  where  it  is  said 
Long  Trailer  died  from  the  effects  of  the  blow  given  him 
in  this  rencontre. 

In  1872  White  Beaver  removed  from  Lanesboro  to  La 
Crosse,  Wisconsin,  where  he  established  a  large  medical 


568  HEROES   OP  THE   PLAINS. 

institute,  tnd  in  addition  to  his  practice,  which  is  larger 
than  that  of  any  physician  in  the  State,  he  is  pushing  the 
sale  of  his  wonderful  herbal  remedies,  White  Beaver's- 
Cough  Cream  and  his  Yosemite  Yarrow,  well  known  now 
all  over  America.  His  institute  in  its  interior  decorations. 
is  a  marvel  of  beauty  and  artistic  selection  and  arrange- 
ment. He  has  seven  large  rooms  for  the  accommodation 
of  both  sexes:  two  reception  rooms,  a  large  laboratory, 
two  operating  rooms,  an  office,  and  a  large  packing  room. 
The  two  reception  rooms  are  furnished  not  only  sumptu- 
ously, but  with  a  skill  for  harmonious  effects.  In  the 
ladies'  room  is  an  elegant  set  of  furniture,  the  richest  car- 
pets, fine  oil  paintings,  a  playing  fountain  of  cologne-wa- 
ter, large  fresh  bouquets  and  numerous  bric-a-braa 
decorations.  In  the  gentlemen's  room  there  is  an 
exhibition  of  rich  mementoes  and  rare  trophies,  indicative 
of  his  pride,  habits  and  proclivities.  The  ceiling  and 
walls  are  arched,  festooned  and  otherwise  elaborately 
decked  with  memorials  and  souvenirs  of  his  friends,  gifts 
from  both  Indians  and  white  men.  Almost  covering  the 
ceiling  is  an  immense  buffalo  hide,  hairless  and  soft 
tanned,  ornamented  by  Indian  hands  with  colored  twine 
and  beads.  There  are  pictures  on  the  walls  of  celebrated 
Indian  chiefs  whose  names  are  most  familiar  to  American 
history.  There  is  also  the  skull  of  Little  Crow,  who 
planned  and  executed  the  direful  Minnesota  massacre  of 
1802.  There  are  also  skulls  of  other  Indians  who  have 
played  conspicuous  parts  in  border  warfare,  and  Indian 
pipes  of  curious  workmanship,  arrows,  bones,  stone  im- 
plements, mound  relics,  specimens  of  fancy  bead  work, 
buck-skin  clothes,  guns  and  pistols  of  both  ancient  and 
modern  make,  all  being  the  gifts  of  friends. 

White  Beaver  still  maintains  his  great  influence  among 
the  Winnebago  Indians.     Those  living  in  the  vicinity  of 


LIFE    OF   WHITE   BEAVER.  569 

Black  Eiver  Falls,  fifty  miles  from  La  Crosse,  several 
hundred  in  number,  consult  him  upon  every  political  step 
contemplated  by  the  tribe ;  in  this  way  he  has  several 
times  been  before  the  Indian  Commissioner  in  their  be- 
half. His  word  is  law  among  them  ;  only  a  short  time 
ago  an  Indian  became  insane  and  in  his  mad  frenzy  beat 
his  mother's  brains  out  with  a  club  ;  for  this  act  he  was 
regularly  tried,  according  to  the  customs  of  the  Indians; 
and  sentenced  to  be  shot.  The  facts  accidentally  reached 
White  Beaver,  who  at  once  wrote  a  letter  to  chief,  Bi«* 

o 

Fire,  advising  him  not  to  shoot  the  young  man,  who  was 
unaccountable  for  his  acts,  but  to  have  him  sent  to  the 
insane  asylum.  The  letter  was  read,  and  its  contents  be- 
ing imparted  to  the  tribe  they  with  one  accord  accepted 
the  advice  and  acted  upon  it.  He  has  been  offered  every 
inducement  within  the  gift  of  any  Indian  tribe,  time  and 
again,  to  go  with  them  and  be  their  medicine  chief.  They 
regard  him  as  one  having  direct  relations  with  the  Great 
Spirit  and  believe  that  if  he  would  abide  with  them  they 
could  never  be  subject  to  pestilence  or  misfortune.  Such 
is  the  power  which  the  superior  mind  of  a  resolute,  intel- 
lectual white  man  may  exercise  over  the  Indians,  who 
still  see  in  the  disturbed  or  peaceful  elements  the  wrath 
er  pleasure  of  the  Creator. 

In  addition  to  his  other  qualifications  peculiarly  fitting 
him  for  a  life  on  the  plains,  he  is  an  expert  pistol  and  rifle 
shot,  in  fact  there  are  perhaps  not  a  half-dozen  persons 
in  the  United  States  who  are  his  superiors  ;  his  precision 
is  not  so  great  now  as  it  once  was,  for  the  reason  that  dur- 
ing the  past  three  or  four  years  he  has  had  rery  little 
practice,  but  even  now  he  would  be  regarded  as  an  expert 
among  the  most  skilful.  For  dead-center  shooting  at 
stationary  objects  he  never  had  a  superior ;  his  eyesight 
is  more  acute  than  an  eagle's,  whick  enables  him  to  dis- 


570  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

tmguish  and  hit  the  head  of  a  pin  ten  paces  distant,  and 
this  shot  he  can  perform  now  nine  times  out  of  ten. 
Any  of  his  office  employes  will  hold  a  copper  cent  be- 
tween their  fingers  and  let  him  shoot  it  out  at  ten  paces, 
so  great  is  their  confidence  in  his  skill ;  he  also  shoots 
through  finger-rings  held  in  the  same  manner.  One  very 
pretty  fancy  shot  he  does  is  splitting  a  bullet  on  a  knife- 
blade,  so  exactly  equally  dividing  it  that  the  two  parts 
will  strike  in  a  given  mark  ;  he  also  suspends  objects  by 
a  hair,  and  at  ten  paces  cuts  the  hair,  which  of  course  he 
cannot  see,  but  shoots  by  judgment.  Several  persons 
have  told  me  that  they  have  seen  him  shoot  a  fish  line  in 
two  while  it  was  being  dragged  swiftly  through  the  water. 
At  this  writing  (October,  1883)  White  Beaver  is  having 
made  a  novel  target  which,  if  he  succeeds  in  striking,  will 
give  him  world  renown  as  a  rifle-shot.  This  unique 
arrangement  consists  in  a  double  circular  target,  one 
placed  behind  the  other,  with  a  bull's-eye  in  each  near 
the  periphery,  or  within  an  inch  of  the  outer  rim.  The 
first  one  is  stationary  while  the  rear  one  revolves,  and 
they  are  so  placed  that  at  each  revolution  the  bull's-eyes 
are  brought  opposite  each  other  for  the  instant.  It  is 
White  Beaver's  ambition,  and  I  may  say,  design,  to  shoot 
through  both  bull's-eyes  while  the  rear  target  is  revolving. 
To  do  this  will  require  quicker  shooting  than  has  ever  yet 
been  attempted.  The  calls  on  his  professional  service* 
are  so  great  that  he  has  no  time  to  practice  with  the  riflo 
save  after  nine  o'clock  at  night,  and  gas-light  shooting  is 
not  favorable  to  a  rapid  development  of  <*kill  as  a  marks- 
man, so  I  think  it  is  doubtful  if  he  ever  accomplishes  the 
feat  which  he  has  set  about  to  do. 

A  description  of  White  Beaver  is  not  difficult  to  give, 
because  of  his  striking  features  ;  those  who  see  him  once 
are  so  impressed  with  his  bearing  that  his  image  is  never 


LIFE   OF   WHITE   BEAVEE.  571 

forgotten.  He  is  just  six  feet  in  height,  of  large  frame, 
and  giant  muscular  development ;  a  full,  round  face  set 
off  by  a  Grecian  nose,  a  handsome  mouth,  and  black  eves 
of  penetrating  brilliancy.  His  hair  is  long,  and  hangs 
over  his  shoulders  in  raven  ringlets.  In  action  he  is  mar- 
vellously quick,  always  decisive,  and  his  endurance  almost 
equals  that  of  a  steam  engine.  His  appearance  is  that  of 
a  resolute,  high  toned  gentleman  conscious  of  his  power, 
and  yet  his  deference,  I  may  say  amiability,  attracts 
every  one  to  him.  He  is,  in  short,  one  of  the  handsomest 
as  well  as  most  powerful  men  among  the  many  great  He- 
roes of  the  Plains. 

The  extraordinary  popularity  of  Dr.  Powell  among  the 
masses  is  well  attested  by  the  fact  that  he  has  been  twice 
chosen  Mayor  of  La  Crosse,  and  each  time  received  an 
overwhelming  majority,  though  running  as  an  independ- 
ent candidate.  At  the  present  writing  (1886)  he  is  still 
Mayor  of  his  beautiful  city,  and  in  July,  at  a  State  Con- 
vention of  the  Workingmen's  Party,  he  was  strongly 
endorsed  for  Governor.  He  is  no  doubt  the  strongest 
candidate  for  the  Governorship  in  the  State,  though  by 
no  means  a  seeker  for  the  office,  and  probably  could  not 
be  induced  to  make  a  canvass  for  the  position. 


TATANKA-E  YOTONKA. — Autograph  Signature. 


573 


SITTING  BULL. 


A  SKETCH  OF  THE  CELEBRATED  INDIAN  CHIEF'S  LIFE, 

AND   His   STORY  OF  THE   MASSACRE   OF 

GEN.  CUSTER  AND  His  MEN. 

ALSO,    REVELATIONS    OF    THRILLING    INCIDENTS    CON* 

NECTED  WITH  THIS  REMARKABLE  BATTLE,  BY  SPOTTED 

HORN  BULL'S  WIFE,  AN  INTELLIGENT   INDIAN 

WOMAN,  WHO  PARTICIPATED  IN  THIS  GREAT 

HISTORICAL  EVENT, 


CHAPTER  I. 

IT  has  been  more  than  seven  years  since  the  tragic  but 
heroic  death  of  Gen.  Custer  and  his  brave  band  on  the 
Little  Big  Horn  River.  The  remembrance  of  that  dire- 
ful day  brings  a  tear  to  almost  every  eye,  and  such  heart- 
aches to  the  friends  of  the  two  hundred  and  forty-six 
heroes  who  lay  down  in  death  together  upon  the  wild  hill- 
sides of  a  remote  country.  The  story  of  how  they  died, 
fighting  like  the  Lacedaemonians,  has  been  told  a  thousand 
times,  but  never  by  a  survivor,  for  of  all  those  who  stood 
like  a  rampart  about  their  commander,  not  one  lived 
through  the  savage  hail-storm  of  bullets  and  arrows ; 
they  left  their  bleeding  corses,  piled  one  upon  another, 
with  faces  always  toward  the  foe,  and  thus  made  their 
sacrifice  complete,  hallowing  a  spot  fit  for  the  yew  tree's 
ahade.  History  after  history  has  been  compiled,  and 
commissioners  have  visited  the  battle  ground  to  secure 

£73 


574  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

reliable  facts  concerning  the  fight.  A  court  of  investiga- 
tion was  held  to  examine  charges  preferred  against  Major 
Reno,  for  whose  coming  and  assistance  Gen.  Ouster 
looked  so  anxiously  on  the  fatal  day.  But  with  all  these 
efforts  many  important  facts  were  necessarily  omitted 
from  all  histories  and  reports,  because  they  could  not  be 
gathered  from  inferences. 

Applications  have  been  time  and  again  made  to  the  In- 
dians who  participated  in  the  fight,  for  particulars  of  the 
battle,  but  by  Sitting  Bull's  advice  they  all  refused  to 
talk  on  the  subject,  believing  that  any  admissions  regard- 
ing the  fight  would  criminate  themselves  and  lead  to  their 
condign  punishment.  I  have  striven  hard  to  procure  re- 
liable incidents  of  the  massacre,  seeking  all  sources,  and 
beyond  what  is  recorded  in  previous  editions  of  this  work 
failed  to  receive  anything  of  additional  interest  until  the 
occasion  which  I  am  now  about  to  report. 

After  some  correspondence  with  Buffalo  Bill,  several 
government  interpreters,  and  commanders  at  various  posts 
in  the  West,  I  decided  to  visit  Ft.  Yates — Standing  Rock 
Agency — where  Sitting  Bull  and  his  tribe  are  stationed, 
and  make  a  last  endeavor  to  learn  how  Custer  died.  This 
visit  was  made  in  August  (1883)  and  so  well  did  my  en- 
terprise succeed  that  I  have  deemed  the  information  then 
gathered  of  sufficient  importance  to  add  it  as  an  appendix 
to  "  Heroes  of  the  Plains." 

My  route  to  Ft.  Yates  was  by  the  way  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  R.  R.  to  Bismarck,  Dakota,  and  thence  by  stage, 
sixty-six  miles  south,  where  I  crossed  the  Missouri  River 
in  a  skiff  late  in  the  evening  and  took  lodgings  with  the 
store-keeper,  Mr.  Douglass.  Ft.  Yates  is  a  considerable 
post  so  far  as  houses  are  concerned,  but  the  force  sta- 
tioned there  consists  of  only  two  hundred  and  fifty  men, 
tbese  beipjF  portions  of  the  Seventh  Cavalry  and  Seven- 


SITTING    BULL.  575 

teenth  Infantry.  The  reservation  extends  up  and  down 
the  river  forty  miles,  on  which  there  are  estimated  to  be 
seven  thousand  Sioux,  all  of  whom,  except  those  since 
born,  composed  the  body  that  massacred  Ouster.  Sitting 
Bull  is,  of  course,  the  central  figure  of  his  tribe,  but 
there  are  many  other  chiefs  whose  valor  far  transcends 
that  with  which  he  is  credited,  such  as  Rain-in-the-Face, 
Low-Dog,  Gall,  and  Crow  King,  who  fought  Ouster  with 
such  fatal  results. 

True  democracy  flourishes  only  with  the  Indians ;  the 
chiefs  are  chosen  for  their  wisdom,  by  bands,  and  these 
bands  are  great  or  small  according  to  the  chief's  popular- 
ity ;  thus,  an  Indian  may  be  chief  of  a  band  of  twenty, 
or  of  two  hundred,  for  eveiy  Indian  has  the  right  to  for- 
sake his  chief  and  become  a  member  of  another  band. 
It  often  occurs  that  a  chief  is  entirely  abandoned,  and 
then  he  becomes,  practically,  "  a  private  in  the  rear 
ranks." 

Sitting  Bull  is  not  a  chief  in  the  sense  the  term  is  usedf 
but  is  a  Moses  among  his  people  ;  he  has  almost  unlim- 
ited influence  among  all  the  tribe,  whether  chiefs  or  bucks  ; 
some  have  pronounced  him  a  medicine  man,  but  this  he 
disclaims,  for  he  is  too  cunning  to  be  subjected  to  a 
daily  manifestation  of  his  power.  He  claims  to  be  a 
prophet ;  that  he  is  in  direct  communion  with  the  Great 
Spirit,  who  visits  his  teepee  and  talks  with  him  face  to 
face  ;  and  not  only  talks,  but  smokes  his  pipe  and  makes 
himself  otherwise  familiar. 

The  career  of  Sitting  Bull,  or  that  for  which  he  has 
credit,  is  eventful,  if  not  remarkable,  especially  that  por- 
tion since  1875.  His  war  with  the  government  opened  in 
the  spring  of  that  year.  Various  depredations  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Fort  Buford,  on  the  Missouri  River, 
were  charged  to  him,  but  he  denied  them.  Some  settle*" 


576  HEROES    OF    THE   PLAINS. 

began  measures  of  retaliation,  when  the  prophet  became 
greatly  enraged,  and,  gathering  about  him  a  strong  band, 
refused  to  live  on  a  reservation,  and  went  into  camp  on 
the  Yellowstone.  Then  followed  his  siege  of  Fort  Pease, 
when  five  hundred  Indians  endeavored  for  three  months 
to  capture  the  place  and  its  defenders,  forty-seven  white 
men  in  all.  A  regiment  of  cavalry  and  some  friendly 
Indians  were  sent  to  the  relief  of  the  garrison,  but  Sit- 
ting Bull  withdrew  at  their  approach,  and  as  soon  as  the 
troops  escorted  the  besieged  away  he  returned  and  burned 
the  fort.  War  was  then  declared  against  him,  and,  fail- 
ing to  surrender  within  the  ten  days  allowed,  Generals 
Crook,  Terry  and  Gibbon  started  after  him  in  different 
directions.  He  checked  the  advance  of  General  Crook 
by  engaging  his  troops,  slaughtered  General  Custer  and 
all  his  band  in  an  ambush  on  June  25th,  1876,  and  effect, 
ed  an  escape  to  Canada,  where  he  lived,  under  the  sur- 
veillance of  Major  Walsh,  of  the  British  Mounted  Police, 
until  the  year  1880. 

On  Monday,  June  14th,  a  body  of  Sitting  Bull's  tribe, 
to  the  number  of  five  hundred,  came  down  from  the 
British  territory,  and,  crossing  the  Yellowstone,  surren- 
dered to  Gen.  Miles  at  Ft.  Keogh.  A  smaller  party  had 
surrendered  to  Gen.  Miles  in  1877,  but  this  was  because 
of  his  active  campaign  in  which  the  Indians  were  pursued 
so  closely  that  they,  were  unable  to  cross  the  British  line. 

Sitting  Bull,  and  about  two  hundred  of  his  followers, 
surrendered  on  the  20th  of  June,  together  with  their 
arms  and  ponies,  to  Major  Brotherton,  at  Ft.  Buford.  He 
was  forced  to  take  this  course  to  save  himself  and  people 
from  starvation.  They  found  the  British  climate  too 
severe,  while  the  game  of  that  region  was  so  scarce  that 
they  could  not  sustain  themselves.  The  cavalcade,  as  it 
entered  the  fort,  attracted  much  attention.  It  consisted 


578  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

of  six  army  wagons  loaded  with  squaws  and  children,  fol- 
lowed by  thirty  of  Louis  Legare's  Red  River  carts  well- 
filled  with  baggage.  Sitting  Bull  himself  and  his  chiefs 
rode  their  ponies,  and  refused  to  dismount  or  shake  hands 
until  they  arrived  at  the  place  fixed  upon  for  their  camp. 
Immediately  after  the  surrender,  the  Indians  were  placed 
between  the  Post  and  the  steamboat  landing  and  there  re- 
mained secure  in  Maj.  Brotherton's  charge  until  a  few 
months  after,  when  they  were  transferred  to  Standing 
Rock  Agency. 

On  the  evening  of  my  arrival  at  Ft.  Yates  I  made  the 
acquaintance  of  several  officers  at  the  club  room,  among 
whom  was  Capt.  McDougal  of  the  7th  Cavalry,  who  was 
with  Maj.  Benteen  at  the  time  of  the  Custer  massacre,  and 
who,  with  his  commanding  officer,  attacked  the  Indians 
so  savagely  that  Sitting  Bull  was  compelled  to  retreat.  I 
also  met  Lieutenant  Brennen,  of  the  Seventeenth  Infan- 
try, also  Captain  Greene,  Captain  Howes,  Colonel  Stewart 
and  others.  Announcing  to  them  the  object  of  my  visit, 
they  volunteered  their  services  to  make  my  trip  a  success- 
ful one. 

On  the  following  morning  I  was  introduced  to  Mrs. 
McLoughlin,  wife  of  MajorMcLoughlin  the  Indian  agent. 
This  excellent  lady  is  official  interpreter  for  the  govern- 
ment, and  her  influence  with  the  Indians  at  the  post  is 
almost  equal  to  that  of  Sitting  Bull  himself.  Her  servi- 
ces to  me  were  invaluable,  of  which  I  shall  speak  here- 
after. 

Shortly  before  noon  a  government  team  was  placed  at 
my  disposal,  with  a  driver,  and  accompanied  by  Captain 
McDougal  and  Lieut.  Brennen,  I  drove  down  to  Sitting 
Bull's  camp,  one  mile  south  of  the  Fort.  Upon  reach- 
ing the  tepees  we  learned  of  a  funeral  which  was  then 
taking  place,  the  body  being  that  of  Sitting  Bull's  nephew, 


SITTING    BULL.  579 

sixteen  years  old,  who  had  died  the  day  previous  of  a 
lung  trouble  contracted  while  he  was  attending  school  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  territory.  This  opportunity  I 
could  not  forego,  so  at  my  solicitation  we  drove  over  the 
hills  two  miles  or  more,  and  came  upon  the  funeral  pro- 
cession, if  such  it  can  be  called,  just  as  the  body  was  be- 
ing deposited.  It  is  the  custom  of  the  Sioux  to  hang 
their  dead  up  on  the  branches  of  trees,  when  in  a  wooded 
country,  but  when  their  camp  is  on  the  prairie  they  erect* 
scaffolds  about  ten  feet  in  height,  upon  the  top  of  which 
their  dead  are  laid. 

The  corpse  of  Sitting  Bull's  nephew  had  been  prepared 
for  deposition  the  evening  previous  to  my  visit,  this  prep- 
aration consisting  in  swathing  the  body  with  all  the  cloth- 
ing owned  by  the  deceased,  including  the  allowance 
shortly  before  made  him  by  the  government,  and  around 
these  were  two  blankets,  the  whole  being  bound  with 
ropes,  so  that  no  part  of  the  body  was  left  uncovered. 
Lamentations  were  then  made  over  the  corpse  all  night, 
not,  as  might  be  supposed,  by  the  relations,  but  by  four 
old  women  who  were  engaged  to  do  all  the  crying.  It  is 
a  rare  thing  to  see  an  Indian  crying,  as  it  is  esteemed  dis- 
graceful, so  there  are  professional  mourners  who  engage 
themselves  to  display  the  grief  supposed  to  be  felt  by  the 
friends  and  relatives  of  deceased  persons.  Frequently, 
when  there  is  extreme  grief  over  a  death,  the  distressed 
persons  will  cut  off  a  finger  or  toe  as  an  evidence  of  their 
feelings. 

Bodies  are  taken  to  the  place  of  final  deposit  by  tying 
them  on  a  travois*,  with  head  toward  the  ground.  It 
was  thus  the  body  we  followed  was  conveyed  to  the  scaf- 

*  A  travois  is  made  of  interlaced  withes  fastened  to  two  poles,  or  shafts, 
the  open  ends  being  allowed  to  drag  on  the  ground,  and  is  drawn  by  a  single 
horse. 


580  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

fold,  made  ready  to  receive  it  three  weeks  before,  when 
his  father  died  and  was  deposited  on  a  scaffold  large 
enough  to  receive  another  corpse. 

The  procession,  so-called,  consisted  of  four  old  women 
and  their  children,  the  professional  mourners  previously 
spoken  of.  Indian  men  never  attend  a  funeral  unless  it 
is  that  of  a  chief.  We  arrived  at  the  scaffold  in  time  to 
see  the  women  make  a  temporary  ladder  up  which  they 
climbed  and  carried  the  body,  with  extreme  difficulty,  and 
deposited  it  beside  the  remains  which  already  lay  there. 
I  saw  no  other  scaffold  on  which  there  was  more  than  one 
body.  After  the  deposition  was  made,  the  women  threw 
their  arms  about,  tossed  their  hair  and  crooned  a  kind  of 
dirge  which  had  neither  time  nor  melody  to  distinguish  it 
from  an  unrythmic  wail ;  after  crying  thus  for  a  time 
they  fell  to  stamping  the  ground  and  digging  with  a  short 
crow-bar.  We  had  witnessed  these  sights  from  a  dis- 
tance, being  unwilling  to  intrude  upon  so  sacred  an  occa- 
sion ;  as  we  drove  up  the  lamentations  suddenly  ceased 
and  gave  place  to  stares  of  curiosity.  One  of  the  old 
women,  engaged  as  mourner,  told  us  she  had  been  em- 
ployed to  cry  so  much  recently  that  she  could  scarcely 
see.  The  rheumy  appearance  of  her  eyes  certainly 
confirmed  this  declaration.  Shortly  after  our  departure 
the  old  women  returned  to  the  camp  and  were  succeeded 
by  four  others.  The  mourning  was  thus  continued,  by 
relays  of  women,  for  a  period  of  three  days.  The  dura- 
tion of  such  manifestations  of  grief  is  generally  deter- 
mined by  the  number  of  ponies  left  by  deceased  to  pay 
for  the  service. 

After  leaving  the  cemetery  we  drove  back  to  Sitting 
Bull's  lodge,  and  being  introduced  I  conducted  a  long 
conversation  with  him  through  Charles  McLoughlin,  a 
young  son  of  the  Indian  agent,  as  Sitting  Bull  can  scarce- 


SITTING  BULL, 


581 


RAIN  IN -THE- FACE. 


582  HEROES    OF   THE    PLAINS 

ly  speak  a  word  of  English,  though  he  signs  his  na  & 
fairly  well — as  is  seen  in  his  autograph. 

I  found  him  sitting  upon  the  ground,  within  his  tent, 
with  six  other  leading  men  of  his  tribe.  Capt.  McDou- 
gal  asked  for  a  pipe,  which  being  produced  and  filled 
with  tobacco,  was  lighted  and  smoked  by  the  entire  party. 
After  this  friendly  ceremony  the  Captain  announced  to 
Sitting  Bull  the  purpose  of  my  visit,  and  assuring  him  of 
my  good  intentions  toward  his  people,  begged  that  he 
tell  me,  without  reserve,  everything  he  might  know  con- 
cerning the  Custer  Massacre.  The  cunning  prophet  made 
no  reply  for  several  minutes,  smoking  his  pipe  vigorously 
in  the  meantime,  evidently  debating  with  himself  the 
advisability  of  his  actions.  At  length  he  said  : 

"  I  was  not  in  the  fight  and  know  nothing  about  it, 
save  what  my  warriors  have  told  me." 

Again  Capt.  McDougal  besought  him  to  abandon  his 
reserve,  and,  for  the  sake  of  history,  and  that  justice 
might  be  done  his  people  and  himself,  to  disclose  what 
he  knew  concerning  the  battle ;  how  it  was  conducted, 
what  orders  he  had  given,  who  killed  Custer,  and  all 
other  information  he  possessed.  His  answer  I  will  give 
in  my  own  language  as  it  was,  in  effect,  interpreted  to 
me : 

"  I  need  not  tell  you  how  we  have  been  deceived  by 
the  white  people,  for  if  you  are  friendly  you  know  the 
facts,  and  if  you  are  our  enemy  you  would  not  believe 
me.  The  Black  Hills  country  was  set  aside  for  us  by 
the  government ;  it  was  ours  by  solemn  agreement,  and 
we  made  the  country  our  home  ;  we  realized  how  our 
lands  had  been  taken,  our  reservations  circumscribed,  my 
people  driven  like  so  many  wild  beasts  toward  a  common 
center  to  be  shot  down  by  encircling  soldiery.  Our 
homes  in  the  Black  Hills  were  invaded  when  gold  was 


SITTING   BULL.  583 

discovered  there  ;  we  asked  for  protection,  which  was 
promised,  but  with  all  our  importunities  the  government 
refused  to  come  to  our  aid.  White  thieves  committed 
depredations  and  then  accused  my  people  of  perpetrating 
the  acts.  Well,  it  is  no  use  to  tell  you  more.  At  last 
we  resisted,  and  that  moment  the  poor  despised  Indian 
raised  his  arm  to  protect  his  wife,  children  and  his  own, 
the  government  to  which  we  looked  for  the  aid  that  had 
been  promised,  let  loose  the  army  upon  us  to  kill  without 
mercy,  exterminate  if  possible.  We  fought  as  brave 
men  fight,  with  no  advantages  but  courage  to  defend 
against  usurpers,  we  met  our  enemies  and  honorably  de- 
feated them. 

"  Now  it  is  asked,  why  do  I  refuse  to  talk  about  our 
fight  with  Custer?  You  cannot  wonder  at  my  silence. 
Every  man's  rifle  is  leveled  at  the  Indian's  heart;  every 
white  man  cries  out,  '  let  us  avenge  Custer,'  and  especial 
hatred  is  directed  against  Sitting  Bull.  I  am  afraid  to 
trust  myself  away  from  my  people.  They  have  tempted 
me  with  large  offers  to  travel  in  the  States,  but  the  cars 
would  make  me  sick,  and  once  wholly  within  their  power, 
the  white  people  would  starve  me  to  death,  because  they 
say  I  murdered  Custer. 

"  Now  I  will  tell  you  the  truth,  after  our  fight  at  Fort 
Pease  my  people  concluded  to  leave  our  country  and 
travel  into  the  British  Possessions,  where  we  hoped  to 
find  plenty  of  game  and  have  better  protection.  To 
prepare  for  this  great  journey  and  change,  we  held  our 
annual  Sun  Dance,  being  our  offering  to  the  Great  Spirit. 
It  is  our  belief  that  we  can  only  come  into  the  presence 
of  the  Great  Spirit  through  sufferings  of  the  flesh,  but 
though  the  ceremony  indicates  pain  to  those  who  partici- 
pate, yet  there  is  really  no  suffering  when  there  is  an 
acceptance.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  third  day  of  our 


584  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

dance  I  became  unconscious  of  my  material  surroundings 
and  was  awakened  in  the  spirit  before  the  Great  Ruler. 
He  smoked  and  then  gave  to  me  the  peace  pipe  ;  we  were 
seated  together  in  a  beautiful  tepee,  and  after  smoking, 
he  said  to  me,  '  Tatanka-e-Yotonka,  you  are  being  sur- 
rounded by  your  enemies  ;  in  seven  suns  you  will  be 
attacked  by  your  ancient  foe,  the  Crow  Indians,  but  over 
these  I  will  give  you  a  victory  ;  three  more  suns  shall  not 
set  before  your  people  will  have  an  engagement  with 
white  soldiers  ;  the  fight  will  be  a  terrible  one,  but  your 
enemies  will  be  slaughtered  and  you  shall  have  a  great 
victory.  This  prophecy  you  can  make  to  your  people, 
for  they  are  weary  and  this  will  give  them  courage.' 
After  thus  speaking  the  Great  Spirit  vanished  and  some 
time  during  the  night  I  recovered  consciousness.  I 
prophesied  to  my  people  as  the  Great  Spirit  directed,  and 
that  it  came  to  pass  as  I  uttered  my  people  are  the  wit- 
nesses. 

"The  Crow  Indians  attacked  us,  but  were  repulsed 
with  heavy  losses,  so  that  they  molested  us  no  more.  On 
the  seventh  day  thereafter,  as  we  were  encamped  near  the 
Rose  Bud,  a  body  of  soldiers  appeared  who,  I  have  since 
learned,  were  commanded  by  Maj.  Reno.  They  fired 
into  us,  but  being  prepared  we  charged  upon  them  so 
briskly  that  the  troops  fled  in  such  a  panic  that  many  lost 
their  arms,  and  a  large  number  were  killed.  We  did  not 
follow  them  for  fear  of  an  ambush,  as  I  could  not  under- 
stand why  Reno  did  not  make  a  stand.  We  drew  off 
and  in  the  afternoon  my  scouts  reported  another  body  of 
soldiers  approaching.  After  learning  their  probable 
strength  I  directed  my  warriors  to  form  in  the  ravines  so 
as  to  be  out  of  view,  and  leave  a  horse-shoe  gap  so  as  to 
surround  the  troops  when  they  should  enter. 

"  My  position  was  across  the  river  from  where  th«  bat- 


SITTING    BULL. 


585 


tie  occurred,  as  I  took  it  upon  myself  to  direct  the  fight 
and  also  take  charge  of  the  camp.  My  orders  were  de- 
livered })y  courier  to  Spotted  Eagle,  Rain-in-the-Face, 


CROW-KING. 


Crow  King,  Low  Dog,  and  Gall,  and  these  chiefs  partici 
pated  in  the  battle. 

"  The  troops  discovered  my  warriors  before  the  gap 
was  closed  upon  them,  and  with  a  wild  yell  they  charged 
right  clown  a  ravine  toward  our  camp,  but  upon  coining 


586  HEROES   OF  THE   PLAINS. 

up  on  the  other  side  the  circle  was  completed  about  them 
and  the  battle  began.  Now,  I  witnessed  little  of  the 
fight  myself,  but  was  kept  informed  of  its  progress. 
The  firing  was  terrific,  and  though  the  soldiers  fought 
with  desperation  my  braves  were  better  fighters  than 
they.  The  combat  lasted  I  cannot  tell  how  long,  as  we 
do  not  compute  time  like  the  white  people,  but  I  should 
judge  not  longer  than  it  would  require  me  to  walk  to  the 
fort  and  return  (two  miles).  The  firing  gradually  grew 
less  and  when  it  had  almost  ceased  a  messenger  came  and 
told  me  that  all  the  soldiers  had  been  killed. 

"  As  I  started  toward  the  battle-ground  I  saw  five  of 
my  braves  chasing  a  soldier  over  the  hills.  They  were 
on  horses  and  all  running  with  great  speed.  I  watched 
them  until  they  had  disappeared  in  the  distance.  The 
pursuers,  who  were  braves  of  my  tribe,  returned  some 
time  after  and  reported  that  they  had  been  pursuing  an 
officer,  who  being  well  mounted  would  certainly  have  es- 
caped, but  that  just  as  they  were  about  giving  over  the 
chase,  the  officer  drew  a  pistol  and  placing  it  against  his 
head  blew  his  brains  out.  The  pursuers  brought  back 
with  them  a  portion  of  the  suicide's  clothing.  My  braves, 
who  had  won  the  battle,  collected  what  material,  arms, 
ammunition,  clothing  and  money  they  could  find  on  the 
battle-ground,  and  then  started  northward.  Up  to  this 
time  I  did  not  know  we  had  been  fighting  Gen.  Custer, 
and  nothing  ever  surprised  me  more  than  the  report  which 
came  to  me  a  long  time  after  the  battle,  that  my  warriors 
had  killed  Custer.  We  knew  that  the  General  wore  long 
hair,  and  it  was  by  this  peculiarity  we  expected  to  dis- 
tinguish him.  Since  the  return  of  my  people  to  Fort 
Yates  I  learn  that  Ouster's  coat  of  buckskin  was  stripped 
from  the  dead  body  of  the  General  by  one  of  my  braves 
who  afterward  wore  it  until  his  death,  and  was  buried 


SITTING   BULL.  587 

In  it.  I  did  not  learn  this,  however,  until  after  the  death 
of  trje  brave. 

"  On  the  night  after  the  battle  our  tents  were  struck 
anr'J  we  started  northward,  expecting  an  attack  on  the  fol- 
io wing  day.  My  warriors  were  very  tired,  and  had  the 
'  /ursuit  been  an  active  one  we  would,  no  doubt,  have  been 
overcome.  Had  not  Maj.  Benteen  joined  forces  with 
Maj.  Reno  when  we  had  the  latter  surrounded  in  the 
woods,  there  would  have  been  few  soldiers  left  in  the 
three  commands  to  tell  the  story  of  their  disaster. 

"  No  one  can  tell  who  killed  Gen.  Custer,  it  is  impos- 
sible because  of  two  facts :  ( 1 )  None  of  my  braves 
knew  Custer,  and  (2)  the  tumult  and  smoke  of  the  bat- 
tle were  so  great  that  combatants  were  often  obscured  en- 
tirely, and  the  fighting  was  therefore  promiscuous.  None 
of  my  people  ever  boasted  to  me  that  they  had  killed 
Custer. 

* '  I  have  now  told  you  all  that  I  know  in  regard  to  the 
fight  with  Custer.  I  can't  see  why  the  white  people  hold 
me  responsible  for  his  death  ;  the  soldiers  attacked  us 
and  we  fought  to  defend  ourselves.  If  all  my  people 
had  been  slaughtered  the  whites  would  have  been  glad. 
I  am  now  at  peace,  however,  and  do  not  want  to  speak 
ill  of  the  government.  I  hope  our  peace  may  endure. 
I  have  only  one  ambition  now,  and  that  is  to  live  the  re- 
mainder of  my  days  with  my  children  and  people.  I 
feel  that  my  life  will  not  long  endure  :  a  lung  trouble  has 
afflicted  me  for  more  than  a  year,  and  seems  to  grow 
gradually  worse.  Many  offers  have  heen  made  me.  to 
travel  through  the  country  and  show  myself,  but  no  in- 
ducements could  prevail.  I  never  rode  on  the  cars  and 
fear  such  travel  would  make  me  sick  ;  besides,  I  would 
not  trust  myself  with  the  whites,  who  would  starve  me. 
My  delight  is  to  have  my  children  with  me  every  day, 
and  here  among  my  people  will  I  die." 


588  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

This  closed  my  interview  with  the  wily  warrior,  and 
though  short,  it  was  far  more  satisfactory  than  I  had  dared 
to  hope  for.  Sitting  Bull  impresses  all  who  see  him  with 
his  genius,  not  particularly  as  a  warrior  but  as  a  states- 
man or  tactician.  He  has  a  noble,  kindly  face,  and  an 
eye  that  discloses  his  trait  of  acute  observation.  His 
stature  is  tail  and  commanding,  broad  of  chest  and  strong 
in  limb.  He  declared  his  age  as  forty-four,  but  as  In- 
dians, as  a  rule,  cannot  compute  time,  his  statement  does 
not  appear  wilfully  absurd  ;  I  should  judge  his  age  to  be 
about  sixty-five. 

The  story  which  Sitting  Bull  tells  of  an  officer  who  was 
pursued  and  who  shot  himself  to  escape  capture  is  authen- 
ticated by  a  discovery  made  by  Gen.  Sherman  two  or 
three  years  ago,  when  on  a  visit  to  the  battle  ground. 
Six  or  seven  miles  from  the  field  of  disaster,  the  General, 
with  his  party,  came  upon  the  skeleton  of  a  man  with 
remnants  of  officer's  clothing  still  adhering  to  it.  An  ex- 
amination of  the  skull  disclosed  gold  filling  in  several  of 
the  teeth,  and  served  to  identify  the  skeleton  as  that  of 
Lieutenant  Harrington,  of  the  7th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  who  was 
with  Custer. 


CHAPTER    II. 

STORY  OF   CHIEF    SPOTTED     HORN     BULL* 8    SQUAW,    A   PAR- 
TICIPANT   IN   THE    CUSTER   MASSACRE. 

AMONG  the  Sioux  Indians  there  is  a  squaw,  La- 
kotah  by  name,  the  wife  of  chief  Spotted  Horn  Bull 
(Tatanka-ha-gle-ska),  who,  by  her  bravery  and  intelli- 
gence, has  risen  to  a  position  of  influence  among  the  tribe 


SITTING    BULL. 


589 


far  superior  to  that  of  her  husband,  and  second  only  to 
Sitting  Bull  himself.  A  short  time  before  my  visit  to 
Ft.  Yntes  this  dusky  Amazon  had  a  combat  with  the  oreat 


GALL. 


warrior  chief  Gall,  who  so  distinguished  himself  in  the 
Custer  fight.  Report  states  that  Gall  had  attempted  to 
form  a  matrimonial  alliance  with  an  Indian  girl  regardless 
of  the  fact  that  his  wife  was  still  sharing  .his  tepee  and 


590  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

the  government  allowances  with  him.  Gall's  wife  is  a 
cousin  of  Mrs,  Spotted  Horn  Bull,  and  she  took  such  um- 
brage at  him  for  trying  to  displace  her  relative  that, 
setting  aside  all  attempts  to  reason  or  compromise,  she 
challenged  the  chief  to  an  encounter  ;  the  challenged  failed 
to  afford  her  satisfaction,  so  she  forced  a  light  by  attack- 
ing Gall  in  front  of  Mr.  Douglass'  Government  store. 
The  scene  which  followed  is  represented  as  having  been 
exciting  in  the  extreme.  Gall  first  acted  entirely  on  the 
defensive,  but  he  soon  became  aggressive  only  to  bring 
upon  himself  a  distressing  defeat,  for  the  heroic  squaw 
beat  him  so  badly  that,  after  his  features  were  chewed 
out  of  shape,  he  howled  for  mercy,  and  to  escape  further 
punishment  gladly  promised  to  restore  his  wife  and  for- 
ever after  abandon  reckless  courtships. 

Spotted  Horn  Bull  is  not  generally  reputed  to  be  a 
brave  or  able  chief,  natural  faults  which  his  wife  has  long 
perceived,  and,  possibly,  to  the  end  that  the  family  may 
not  be  wholly  without  honor  among  the  tribe  ;  or,  follow- 
ing an  inherited  inclination  to  seek  glory  in  the  field  o'f 
strife,  she  disdain  ihe  occupation  of  her  sex,  and  has  sev- 
eral times  been  an  act  ive  warrior  in  the  fighting  ranks  of  her 
tribe.  Her  last  exploit  was  as  a  participant  in  the  bloody 
meeting  with  Ouster,  in  which  she  rode  a  white  pony  that 
was  always  where  the  fight  was  hardest ;  her  carbine  did 
terrible  execution,  and  her  bravery  so  incited  the  Indians 
that  they  made  the  massacre  complete.  Intrepid  daring, 
hoAvever,  is  not  Lakotah's  only  characteristic,  for  she  is 
acknowledged  to  be  the  smartest  member  of  her  tribe.  Un- 
like Sitting  Bull  (to  whom  she  bears  the  relation  of  cous- 
in), who  is  always  suspicious  and  stubborn,  she  is  frank, 
good-humored,  and  is  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  talk 
about  the  Custer  massacre,  though  never  vauntingly  of 
herself.  Mrs.  McLaughlin,  to  whom  I  have  previously 


SITTING    BULL. 


591 


referred,  having  told  me  that  Lacotah  could  give  me  a 
better  description  of  the  fight  than  any  other  Indian,  I 
appealed  to  her  to  arrange  an  interview  that  I  might  hear 


LOW-DOG. 


the  squaw's  interesting  story.  At  my  solicitation,  there- 
fore, Mrs.  McLaughlin  drove  down  to  the  Indian  camp 
and  brought  Lacotah  up  to  her  ho'jse,  where,  as  per  ar- 
rangement, I  met  her.  After  an  introduction — a 


592  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

ment  of  my  purposes — a  request  was  made  by  Mrs. 
McLaughlin  that  Lakotah  relate  to  me  a  full  description 
of  the  fight  as  well  as  the  antecedent  and  subsequent  facts 
calculated  to  give  a  more  definite  idea  of  the  dreadful 
massacre.  With  Mrs.  McLaughlin  acting  as  interpreter, 
the  Indian  woman  told  me  the  story  of  that  horrible  ho- 
locaust substantially  as  follows,  conveying  her  meaning 
in  my  own  language  : 

"I  will  leave  it  to  others  to  tell  you  of  the  wrongs 
done  my  people  by  the  Government  and  its  soldiers.  The 
Custer  Massacre  was  a  consequence  of  this  treatment,  and 
if  it  teaches  the  father  at  Washington  to  do  us  justice 
hereafter  I  shall  be  glad,  but  I  now  fear  that  instead  of 
serving  to  improve  our  miserable  condition  it  will  cause 
the  soldiers  to  seek  revenge  by  increasing  the  severities 
from  which  we  suffer.  But  I  will  now  only  talk  to  you 
about  our  fight  with  Custer. 

"  Eleven  days  before  the  battle  we  were  encamped  with- 
in fifty  miles  of  the  place  where  the  engagement  took 
place,  on  a  small  creek  called  Greasy  Grass  ;  I  do  not 
know  the  English  name  for  it.  In  this  place  our  people 
held  a  religious  ceremony,  our  Sun  Dance,  to  show  the 
Great  Spirit  that  our  hearts  were  always  toward  him  and 
to  ask  for  His  protection.  Among  the  number  who  bore 
the  tortures  of  that  ceremony,  by  piercing  the  muscles  of 
his  breast  and  thus  suspending  himself  from  the  pole, 
was  Sitting  Bull.  There  were  six  other  chiefs  who  cut 
themselves  and  were  bound  to  the  pole,  but  they  all 
fainted  or  broke  their  bonds  the  first  day.  Sitting  Bull 
remained  in  one  attitude  for  two  days,  looking  always 
toward  the  sun,  and  never  showing  any  signs  of  suffer- 
ing or  weakness  from  loss  of  blood.  In  all  this  time  he 
tasted  neither  food  nor  water,  but  the  third  morning  he 
went  into  a  sleep  and  we  knew  he  was  holding  a 


SITTING  BULL.  593 

cil  with  the  Great  Spirit.  I  forced  food  and  water  into 
his  mouth,  bathed  his  wounds  and  watched  beside  him 
until  night,  when  he  opened  his  eyes  and  then  told  how 
he  had  been  counseled  to  act  by  the  Great  Spirit ;  he 
also  prophesied  a  battle  with  the  Crow  Indians,  and 
with  Ouster  (at  this  point  she  related  the  same  story 
told  to  me  by  Long  Soldier,  which  I  have  given  in 
the  chapter  devoted  to  Sitting  Bull's  account  of  the  bat- 
tle). 

"Two  days  after  the  Sun  Dance  was  concluded,  and 
according  to  Sitting  Bull's  prophecy,  a  large  war  party 
of  Crows  attacked  us,  but  after  fighting  all  day  they 
were  driven  off  into  the  Wolf  Mountains,  several  of  their 
warriors  being  killed;  our  loss  was  only  seven. 

"  On  the  morning  after  the  battle  with  the  Crows,  we 
broke  camp  and  moved  on  to  the  Little  Big  Horn,  where, 
finding  plenty-  of  water  and  grass,  we  went  into  camp 
agai  n . 

"  To  make  my  story  more  readily  understood — for  I 
shall  now  begin  to  tell  you  about  the  great  battle  which 
here  took  place  between  my  people  and  Gen.  Custer — I 
will  draw  a  diagram  of  our  camps  and  the  general  posi- 
tion we  occupied  when  the  fight  began." 

At  this  point  Lakotah  called  for  my  pencil,  and  being 
given  a  piece  of  paper  she  made  the  following  drawing, 
in  the  execution  of  which  I  was  very  much  surprised. 

"  The  total  fighting  force  of  the  seven  tribes  was  about 
five  thousand,  and  all  of  these  were  first  camped  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river,  where  the  ground  is  nearly  level, 
except  at  a  little  distance  back  where  the  ground  rises  in  a 
bench  six  or  seven  feet  high.  On  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  however,  the  land  is  broken  and  hilly,  while  along 
the  bank  there  are  precipitous  bluffs,  the  highest  being 
marked  on  the  diagram  '  K'.  Reno  threw  up  his  shallow 


594 


HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 


breastworks  at  '  G,'  at  which  point  the  land  is  two  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  river,  rising  very  abruptly.  It  was 
from  this  side  of  the  river  and  over  these  hills  the  United 
States  soldiers  approached. 

"  It  was  to  the  bluff  point  marked  '  K'  that  captains 
Benteen  and  Wier  rode  to  discover  the  position  of  Gen. 
Custer,  but  being  unable  to  sight  him,  and  seeing  the 


DIAGRAM    OF  THE   BATTLE    FIELD. 


A — Blackfeet  camp. 

B — Uncapapa  camp. 

C — Ogallala  and  Sans  Arc  camp. 

D — Brule  camp. 

E — Cheyenne  camp. 

F — Minneconjoux  camp. 


G — Reno's  breastworks. 
H — Custer  monument. 
/—Small  coolie  aid  stream. 
A'— High  point  of  bluff. 
L — Reno's  retreat  crossing. 
M — Line  of  first  bench. 


large  Indian  camp,  they  fell  back  to  support  Reno.  Iu 
the  meantime,  however,  Reno  had  crossed  the  river — . 
which  was  anywhere  easily  forded — at  *  L,'  and  attacked 
the  In'dians  in  the  rear.  This  was  on  the  morning  of 
June  25th.  On  this  same  date  seven  Cheyenneshad  been 
sent  out  to  join  Chief  Spotted  Tail  ;  five  of  this  number 
got  through,  but  the  other  two  stopped  on  the  bluff  and 
from  a  high  point  signaled  with  their  blankets  the  ap- 


SITTING   BULL.  595 

proaoh  of  a  large  body  of  soldiers,  which  afterward 
proved  to  be  Custer. 

"  When  Reno  opened  fire  from  the  west  bank,  he 
seemed  to  have  little  or  no  idea  of  the  number  of  Indians 
to  whom  he  was  opposed.  He  dismounted  his  men,  and 
leaving  one  man  to  guard  four  horses,  which  of  course 
diminished  his  fighting  forces  one  quarter,  he  rushed  onto 
the  camp.  It  happened  that  very  few  warriors  were  in 
camp  at  the  time,  as  more  than  half  of  them  were  after 
the  pony  herd,  so  that  with  the  first  fire  there  was  a  panic 
among  the  women  and  children  that  I  cannot  undertake 
to  describe.  We  all  expected  to  be  massacred,  and  there 
was  not  the  least  resistance  manifested,  when  suddenly, 
and  for  a  most  unaccountable  reason,  Reno's  men  became 
panic-striken  and  retreated  back  across  the  river  in  such 
wild  disorder  that  scores  were  killed  by  our  men  ;  even 
little  boys  followed  in  the  rout  and  pulled  soldiers  from 
their  horses  and  killed  them.  After  crossing  the  river  the 
retreat  continued  up  a  hill  so  sleep  that  unless  badly 
frightened  a  man  could  scarcely  climb  it. 

L'akotah  several  times  repeated  her  disgust  at  the  action 
of  the  whites,  and  the  only  explanation  she  could  give  for 
the  retreat  was  that  Reno  saw,  when  he  got  into  it,  how 
large  the  Indian  village  Was  and  was  seized  with  a  panic 
greater  than  that  among  the  Indians  themselves.  That 
the  latter  was  very  decided,  however,  was  proven  by  the 
fact  that  the  warriors  hurriedly  returning  with  the  quick- 
ly rounded  herds,  met  many  fugitives  from  the  camp  and 
feared  the  worst  on  their  own  return. 

"  Very  soon  after  Reno's  retreat  the  blare  of  Ouster's 
trumpets  was  heard  ;  messengers  soon  reported  his  prob- 
able force  and  the  work  of  surprise  and  hemming  him  in 
was  begun.  The  braves  who  were  after  the  pony  herd 
had  now  returned,  and  the  whole  fighting  force  crossed 


596  HEROES  or  THE  PLAINS. 

Little  Big  Horn  and,  being  hidden  by  the  hills,  surround- 
ed Custer  before  he  was  probably  aware  that  there  were 
so  many  Indians  in  the  vicinity.  When  the  whites  had 
marched  under  the  high  ledge  of  rocks,  suddenly  our 
force  of  five  thousand  rose  up  and  fell  upon  them  on 
every  side.  The  whites  first  dismounted  and  fought,  but 
seeing  how  they  had  been  surrounded,  and  that  there  waa 
little  hope  for  their  escape,  they  remounted  again.  For 
nearly  half  an  hour  the  fight  was  terrible,  as  our  braves 
were  all  as  well  armed  as  the  soldiers.  The  valley  be- 
came so  full  of  smoke  that  it  was  like  a  den.se  fog,  and 
the  noise  and  confusion  was  dreadful.  After  that  time 
. there  was  a  gradual  cessation  of  the  firing  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  we  had  killed  every  soldier  and  the  battle- 
ground was  left  to  us. 

"I  am  not  sure,  but  I  think  that  I  saw  Gen.  Custer, 
though  I  did  not  know  him  at  the  time,  fighting  desper- 
ately about  one  hundred  yards  from  where  he  fell  ;  I 
certainly  saw  a  leading  officer  of  the  troops  whose  de- 
scription answered  that  of  Custer.  This  man,  whoever 
he  was,  showed  wonderful  bravery,  so  that  many  of  our 
warriors  tried  to  kill  him  for  the  honor  that  the  deed 
would  confer,  but  I  do  not  know  who  killed  him,  and  1 
am  almost  certain  that  no  one  else  knows,  for  the  confu- 
sion made  it  impossible  to  tell  what  execution  any  Indian 
did." 

Custer  and  his  command  killed,  the  Sioux  again  turned 
their  attention  to  the  troops  on  the  hill,  and  the  woman, 
resuming  the  story,  laughed  gleefully  as  she  told  what 
fun  the  bucks  had  shooting  at  the  soldiers  as  they  ran 
that  terrible  gauntlet,  down  the  hill  to  the  river,  for  wa- 
ter. The  Custer  men  were  soon  stripped,  of  course,  and 
the  only  way  the  Indians  knew  they  had  killed  the  Long- 
Haired  Chief  was  by  his  bucksk.a  coat  trimmed  with 


SITTING    BULL. 


^s\:^i^^ )' I  i  J  /f\^ 


598  HEKOES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

beaver,  which  they  found  on  his  person.  Lakotah  says 
the  Sioux  lost  thirty  killed  and  more  than  twice  as  many 
wounded,  but  the  loss  was  no  doubt  very  much  greater 
than  this  estimate.  Among  the  killed  were  boys  of 
twelve  and  fourteen,  who,  in  the  ardor  of  young  Varrior- 
hood,  rushed  across  the  river  on  their  ponies  and  into  the 
thickest  of  the  fight.  She  mentioned  two  boys  who  were 
wounded  ;  one,  a  young  Achilles,  in  the  heel,  and  another 
in  the  right  arm,  which  was  shot  off.  Both  recovered 
and  neither  of  them  is  yet  twenty,  though  seven  years 
have  passed  since  they  counted  their  first  coups.  It  was 
with  a  tone  of  most  noticeable  regret  that  the  woman 
told  of  the  quantities  of  bank  notes  found  and  wasted, 
as  being  utterly  ignorant  of  the  value  of  the  curiously 
painted  parallelograms  of  green  paper. 

Of  course,  feasting  and  laudation  were  the  order  of  the 
day  and  night  succeeding  the  slaughter,  but  the  news  of 
Terry's  approach  with  his  command  compelled  a  hasty 
breaking  up  of  the  camp.  She  says  they  marched  day 
and  night  for  several  days,  and  soon  the  whole  band  was 
safe  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  Big  Horn  mountaiw-s,  where 
they  remained  some  time  before  a  separation  took  place, 
and  the  Uncapapas  and  portions  of  other  tribes  went 
north.  The  squaw's  story  was  told  straightforwardly 
and  beyond  question  she  believes  it  true,  every  word. 

Among  the  many  brave  and  noble-hearted  men  who 
fell  with  Gen.  Custer  were  his  two  younger  brothers. 
Boston  and  Tom  Ouster,  Lieutenant  James  Calhoun,  his 
brother-in-law,  and  Autie  Reed,  a  young  hero,  his 
nephew  ;  all  these  dropped  out  at  once,  as  it  were,  from 
the  family  circle.  Every  man  in  Calhoun's  company 
died  in  the  ranks  ;  there  was  no  scattering  to  indicate 
either  panic  or  retreat,  but  with  the  ranks  all  closed  up 
the  company  fell  as  though  every  man  had  been  struck 


SITTING    BULL. 


599 


with  one  fatal  bolt  of  lightning.  Lieut.  John  J.  Crit- 
fcenden,  Col.  Cook,  Capt.  Yates,  Lieut.  Riley,  in  short 
every  one  of  those  who  participated  and  fell  in.  that 
dreadful  fray  were  as  gallant  men  as  ever  went  forth  to 
battle  or  lay  life  upon  the  sacrificial  altar  of  their  coun- 


try. Though  mangled  by  bullet  and  arrow,  discrowned 
by  the  savage  scalping-knifc,  divested  of  their  country's 
uniform  which  would  have  been  most  fitting  cerements  for 
such  patriotic  heroes,  let  us  believe  that  at  the  final  roll- 
call  these  evidences  of  Indian  desecration  will  prove  their 
passport  into  the  highest,  holiest  life. 


CAPT.  JACK, 
(The  Poet  Scout) 


600 


A  SKETCH  OF  CAPT.  JACK, 

THE  POET  SCOUT. 


CAPTAIN  JOHN  W.  CRAWFORD,  known  to  fame  as  Capt. 
Jack,  the  Poet  Scout  of  the  Black  Hills,  is  a  native  of 
County  Donegal,  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  in  the  year 
1848,  of  prominent  parents,  his  mother  being  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Sir  William  Wallace.  In  1852  the  elder 
Crawford  left  Ireland  for  America,  but  shortly  after  his 
arrival  in  this  country  he  fell  into  evil  ways,  and  gave 
such  license  to  a  previously  acquired  appetite  for  strong 
drink  that  thenceforward  he  neglected  aH  hi»  duties  as 
kusband  and  father. 

In  1856,  however,  Mrs.  Crawford  came  orer  to  Amer- 
ica and  joined  her  husband  at  Minersrille,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  was  prosecuting  his  trade  as  tailor  with  indiffer- 
ent success.  But  a  year  of  hard  labor  and  economy 
enabled  the  mother  to  save  sufficient  from  her 
scanty  earnings  to  send  for  her  children,,  four  in  num- 
ber. 

The  following  incident,  which  I  have  taken  the  liberty 
to  copy  from  a  prefatory  life  sketch  of  Capt.  Jack,  pub- 
lished in  his  recent  book  of  poems,  entitled,  "  The  Poet 
Scout,"  will  illustrate  the  disadvantages  of  hia  early 
youth,  the  incentive  of  his  future  actions,  and  the  domes- 
tie  sufferings  of  his  beloved  mother : 

"It  was  at  the  close  of  a  hard  day's  march  during  Cus- 
ter's  campaign  on  the  Yellowstone,  and  the  command 

had  toiled  through  long  miles  of  rough  ctwrntry,  in  the 
601 


€02  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

midst  of  a  rain  storm  such  as  is  known  only  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  officers  were  seated  around  the  camp- 
fire  trying  to  extract  some  warmth  from  the  smouldering 
buffalo  chips,  when  one  of  them  produced  from  his  sad- 
dle-bags a  canteen  of  whisky,  and  taking  a  long  draught, 
with  the  remark,  '  this  is  the  soldier's  best  friend,'  passed 
it  to  Captain  Jack  Crawford. 

"  '  Thank  you,  Captain,  but  I  never  drink.' 

"  '  Never  drink  ! '  responded  the  officer,  4  why  it  is  al- 
most incredible  ;  you  are  the  first  man  I  ever  met  with  on 
the  plains  who  refused  good  liquor.' 

"  *  Yes,  Jack,'  said  several  of  the  others  who  were  in- 
terested listeners  to  the  conversation,  *  tell  us  how  it  is 
you  are  so  strict  a  temperance  man.' 

"  '  That  stuff  you  are  drinking,'  responded  the  scout, 
*  robbed  me  of  a  good  father,  made  him  forget  his  own 
flesh  and  blood,  and  changed  him  from  a  man  to  a  brute. 
That  is  not  my  only  reason.  Years  ago,  when  my  poor 
mother  was  on  her  death-bed,  she  called  me  to  her  side, 
and  holding  out  her  thin  white  hand,  asked  me  to  prom- 
ise in  the  presence  of  my  brothers  and  sisters,  and  in  the 
invisible  presence  of  God,  that  my  lips  should  never 
touch  the  destroyer.  Gentlemen,  I  consider  that  that 
vow  is  registered  in  heaven,  and  I  have  kept  it.  I  do  not 
even  know  the  taste  of  liquor.  Is  my  re&son  satisfac- 
tory?' " 

The  misfortune  which  an  ungovernable  desire  for 
strong  drink  invariably  precipitates,  so  wrecked  the 
Crawford  family  that  at  a  very  early  age  little  Jack  was 
compelled  to  contribute  to  the  support  of  his  mother  with 
all  the  earnings  his  youthful  and  constant  labors  could 
create.  His  education  was,  in  consequence,  entirely  neg- 
lected,  and  BO  little  care  was  given  to  his  instruction  that 
not  only  was  he  never  in  a  school-house,  but  at  the  age 


SKETCH  OF  CAPT.  JACK.  603 

of  fifteen,  when  he  left  home  to  enter  the  Union  army, 
there  was  not  a  single  letter  in  the  alphabet  that  he  knew 
the  name  of. 

In  1863  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  48th  Regiment 
of  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  serving  under  Gen.  John  F. 
Hartranft,  who  afterward  became  Governor  of  that  State. 
At  the  battle  of  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  May  12, 
1864,  Jack  was  in  the  front  ranks  that  led  a  desperate 
charge  on  the  enemy's  works,  in  which  he  fell  desper- 
ately wounded  and  was  carried  back  to  the  field  hospital. 
Some  days  after  the  battle  he  was  sent  to  Washington, 
and  transferred  from  there  to  the  Saterlee  Hospital  in 
West  Philadelphia.  For  many  weeks  he  lay  upon  a  bed 
of  terrible  suffering,  but  it  chanced  that  he  fell  under  the 
tender  care  of  a  Sister  of  Charity  who  nursed  him  into 
convalescence,  and  then  began  to  give  him  lessons,  first 
in  the  A  B  C's,  and  then  led  him  along  gradually  until, 
under  her  tutelage,  he  learned  to  read  and  write.  Hav- 
ing thus  become  possessed  of  the  primary  elements  of  an 
education,  he  continued  in  the  acquisition  of  knowledge, 
unaided,  and  became  at  last  fairly  informed. 

After  recovering  from  his  wound,  Jack  returned  to  his 
regiment,  and  remained  in  active  service  until  the  2d  of 
April,  1865,  T\hen  he  was  again  wounded, at  Petersburg, 
Virginia,  and  had  not  recovered  when  the  army  disbanded 
at  the  close  of  the  war. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1865  Captain  Jack's  mother  died, 
and  being  now  alone  in  the  world,  and  moved  by  a  nat- 
ural craving  for  adventure,  he  started  West,  bearing  with 
him  letters  of  warm  recommendation  from  Gens.  Hart- 
ranft ind  Sherman,  which  introduced  him  favorably  to 
frontier  army  officers,  and  he  soon  after  found  congenial 
service  in  the  Western  camps. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  white  men  to  enter  the  Black 


604  HEBOES  OF   THE   PLAINS. 

Hills,  and  became  the  founder  of  Ouster  City,  Gayville, 
and  Spearfish,  in  Dakotah,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
organizers  that  laid  off  the  towns  of  Deadwood  and 
Crook  City. 

In  the  Indian  campaign  of  1876  Capt.  Jack  was  second 
in  command  of  Gen.  Crook's  scouts,  and  superseded 
Buffalo  Bill  as  chief  on  the  24th  of  August  of  the  same 
year,  Bill  having  resigned  to  reorganize  his  theatrical 
company  for  the  season  of  1876-77. 

As  a  horseman  and  rider  Capt.  Jack  is  extraordina- 
rily skillful,  while  as  a  scout  and  Indian  fighter  he  has 
honestly  earned  great  renown.  Among  his  more  celebra- 
ted rides  may  be  mentioned  one  he  accomplished  in  July, 
1876,  when  in  response  to  a  telegram  he  rode  from  Med- 
icine Bow,  on  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  to  the  Rosebud 
and  Little  Big  Horn,  a  distance  of  nearly  four  hundred 
miles  in  five  days.  This  feat  of  wonderful  speed  and  en- 
durance was  performed,  too,  through  a  country  literally 
swarming  with  hostile  Indians,  several  of  whose  camps 
and  villages  he  was  compelled  to  pass  within  pictol  shot  of. 

On  another  occasion,  being  engaged  as  a  social  mes- 
senger for  the  New  York  Herald,  whose  special  corres- 
pondent was  with  Gen.  Crook's  army,  Capt,  -,ack  car- 
ried an  account  of  the  battle  of  Slim  Buttes  to  Ft.  Lara- 
mie,  a  distance  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  in  less 
than  four  days.  In  accomplishing  this  unprecedented 
ride  he  passed  five  couriers  and  arrived  more  than  five 
hours  in  advance  of  the  fastest,  but  he  killed  two  horses 
in  making  the  journey,  for  which  the  Herald  allowed  him 
$222.75,  besides  giving  him  $500  for  the  service. 

Capt.  Jack's  adventures  have  been  numerous  and 
thrilling,  many  of  which  he  has  related  in  verse,  which 
be  writes  with  terse  fluency  and  rythm.  In  1873  he  join- 
ed Buffalo  Bill's  troupe  and  played  a  leading  part  for 


SKETCH   OF   CAPT.    JACK. 


605 


two  seasons  very  satisfactorily,  but  he  preferred  the  wild 
Mf e  of  the  far  West  and  returned  to  his  old  home  iu  Da- 
kota. 

During  the  late  war,  in  1879,  Capt.  Jack  was  employed 
as  scout  and  trailer  and  was  engaged  in  several  of  the  hot- 
test fights  of  that  campaign.  He  was  well  acquainted 
with  Chief  Oura,  whose  friendly  services  he  did  much  to 
seeure  and  through  whose  influence  with  his  people  hostili- 


^  Oura. 

ties  were  brought  to  an  early  close,  and  the  captive  Meeker 
family  restored  to  the  whites.  Oura's  death  occurred  in 
1880  on  the  Ute  reservation.  He  was  an  able  chief,  pro- 
gressive, intellectual,  and  ambitious  to  bring  his  tribe 
under  the  civilizing  and  elevating  influence  of  the  white 
people,  for  whom  he  ever  cherished  a  warm  and  friendly 
feeling. 


606  HEROES    OF    THE    PLAINS. 

As  a  man  Capt.  Jack  has  always  enjoyed  the  greatest 
popularity ;  he  is  a  thorough  gentleman,  an  excellent 
scout,  good  Indian  fighter,  and  his  morals  have  ever  been 
regarded  as  phenomenal  by  the  hardy  and  generally  reck- 
less characters  of  the  frontier.  His  affection  for  Buffalo 
Bill  approaches  veneration,  and  more  than  half  of  his 
poetic  effusions  are  dedicated  to  or  founded  upon  some 
incident  in  Bill's  life. 

As  a  poet,  Capt.  Jack  deserves  the  admiration  of  every 
one  capable  of  appreciating  poetic  genius.  Deprived  of 
all  the  cultivating  influences  calculated  to  suggest  the 
sentiment  of  verse,  his  own  innate,  self-created  endow- 
ments made  nature  assert  itself,  and  he  has  written 
poetry  because  this  manner  of  expressing  his  thoughts 
and  ideas  was  more  natural  to  him  than  prose.  There  is 
no  profound  or  aesthetic  phraseology  in  his  verses,  but 
they  abound  in  what  is  vastly  superior :  ennobling  and 
sublime  rhapsodies  which  reveal  the  God-given  poetic 
gift  beneath  the  uncultured  exterior.  His  style  most 
resembles  that  which  distinguishes  Bret  Haite,  which, 
though  it  is  less  elegantly  rounded  with  rhetorical  finish, 
nevertheless  breathes  a  purer  and  loftier  sentiment,  and 
a  more  divine  creation  than  Sierra's  poet  can  boast  of. 

He  is  still  living,  in  the  hey-day  of  life,  and  at  this  date 
(October,  3883,)  is  mining  in  Mew  Mexico.  Whether  as 
chief  of  scouts,  town  trustee  of  Custer  City,  chief  of  the 
Red  Rangers,  poet  at  the  banquet  table,  author,  actor, 
or  "poorest  man  on  the  range,"  Capt.  Jack  is  always  the 
same  good-natured,  accommodating,  generous  and  geniaf 
gentleman,  with  a  true  heart,  and  the  spirit  of  devotion 
for  his  friends. 


TEXAS   JACK. 

JOHN  B.  OMOHUNDRO,  more  familiarly  known  by  the 
title  of  "  Texas  Jack,"  was  a  native  of  West  Virginia, 
but  the  exact  date  of  his  birth  I  have  never  been  able  to 
learn. 

At  the  early  age  of  seven  years,  he  ran  away  from 
home  and  shipped  as  a  " general  utility"  boy  on  a  sailing; 
vessel  bound  for  Australia.  This  voyage  proved  so  de- 
lightful to  the  youthful  adventurer  that  he  remained  at 
sea  until  he  had  developed  into  a  seaman  before  the  mast, 
in  which  service  he  visited  nearly  all  the  countries  of  the 
world,  but  in  1858  was  wrecked  off  the  coast  of  Texas, 
and  after  a  hard  struggle  for  life  with  the  angry  billows, 
was  cast  upon  the  shore  near  Corpus  Chris ti. 

After  this  rather  "  sa'ty  "  experience,  Jack  resolve^  to 
remain  a  landsman  until  some  desirable  position  should 
offer  him  for  an  easier  life.  He  was  not  long  idle,  how- 
ever, for  occupation  was  readily  found  among  the  large 

607 


608  HEROES    OF   THE   PLAINS. 

cattle  herders  of  Texas,  which  service  soon  introduced 
him  to  the  wild  life  found  only  on  the  plains,  and  in 
which  there  was  a  congeniality  and  fascination  peculiarly 
suited  to  his  disposition. 

Jack  was  employed  on  a  ranche  in  the  Texas  pan-han- 
dle, near  the  border  line  of  the  Indian  Territory,  where 
Indian  cattle  thieves  were  accustomed  to  make  periodical 
depredations.  On  this  ranche  were  also  many  head  of 
horses,  raised  chiefly  for  herding  purposes,  and  these 
animals  required  constant  watchfulness  from  the  herders 
to  prevent  them  falling  into  the  hands  of  covetous  In- 
dians. In  fact,  many  cow-boys  were  murdered  by  these 
pests  of  the  ranche,  so  that  the  business  of  herder  had 
become  extremely  hazardous  in  the  pan-handle  section. 

When  Jack  entered  upon  the  dangerous  duty  of  ranch- 
man, he  expected  trouble  with  the  Indians,  and  was, 
therefore,  prepared  for  it.  Nor  was  he  in  anywise  sur- 
prised when,  a  few  months  after  his  engagment,  a  large 
body  of  the  red-skins  came  down  upon  him  and  his  part- 
ner, with  whoop  and  weapons,  intent  upon  capturing  the 
horses  under  Jack's  charge.  But  the  Indians  were  re- 
ceived with  a  cordiality  little  expected.  Jack  at  once 
covered  the  rear,  and  while  his  partner  drove  the  horses 
rapidly  toward  National  Monument,  Jack  poured  a  deadly 
fire  into  the  Indians,  killing  several,  and  thus  checking 
pursuit.  For  this  skilful  and  effective  resistance  he  was 
well  rewarded  by  the  owner  of  the  stock.  Afterward 
Jack  made  several  cattle  drives  to  Abilene,  and  became 
one  of  Texas'  most  renowned  rancheros. 

When  the  great  civil  war  was  declared,  and  there  was 
a  mustering  of  Southern  forces  through  the  Southwest, 
Jack  proffered  his  services  to  Gen.  Floyd,  by  whom  he 
was  at  once  made  "headquarters  courier,"  and  directly 
thereafter  was  promoted  to  chief  of  scouts  under  the  eel- 


609 


€10  HEROES  OF  THE  PLAINS. 

ebrated  cavalry  Colonel,  J.  B.  Stuart.  He  served  in  this 
capacity  for  several  years,  and  became  noted  throughout 
the  Confederacy. 

At  the  close  of  hostilities  Jack  was  employed  as  guide 
between  the  Colorado  and  Rio  Grande  rivers,  and  after 
pursuing  this  calling  for  several  months  made  an  extend- 
ed tour  through  Kansas  and  Nebraska  for  the  purpose  of 
«o  familiarizing  himself  with  the  country  that  he  could 
competently  guide  parties  through  those  territories  (now 
States). 

In  1872  Jack  was  engaged  as  scout  for  the  Government 
*nd  in  the  following  summer  had  charge  of  four  hundred 
Pawnees  who  were  engaged  to  operate  against  the  Chey* 
cnnes.  It  was  while  thus  employed  that  he  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Buffalo  Bill,  with  whom  he  scouted  a  con- 
siderable time  and  until  the  two  became  partners  in  an 
enterprise  conceived  by  Ned  Buntline,  as  detailed  in  the 
"Life  of  Buffalo  Bill." 

While  Gen.  Sheridan  was  organizing  his  campaign 
against  the  Northern  Cheyennes,  Jack  was  employed  as 
hunter  for  the  army,  in  which  capacity  he  developed  re- 
markable skill  in  killing  antelope,  which  abounded  on  the 
prairies  of  Western  Kansas  at  that  time.  The  method 
employed  for  killing  this  most  wary  and  fleet  of  North 
American  game  is  well  portrayed  in  the  accompanying 
engraving.  The  killing  of  antelope  is  not  so  exciting  as 
that  of  buffalo  hunting,  but  it  requires  great  caution  and 
has  much  of  genuine  sport  in  it. 

During  the  Cheyenne  war,  and  at  the  time  of  Ouster's 
death,  Jack  was  employed  by  the  New  York  Herald  to 
carry  dispatches  from  the  scene  of  hostilities  to  the  near- 
est points  for  transmission,  and  performed  these  duties 
with  such  satisfaction  that  he  received  many  nattering  no- 
tices of  praise  from  that  paper. 


6U 


612  HEROES   OF   THE   PLAINS. 

In  the  early  part  of  1880  Jack's  health  became  much 
impaired,  and  he  went  to  Colorado  with  the  hope  of  ben 
efitting  his  physical  condition  and  also  his  fortune,  astLe 
Leadville  gold  and  silver  discoveries  were  then  promising 
large  returns  for  small  investments  of  capital  and  labor. 
But  his  anticipations  were  never  realized,  for  in  May  he 
was  attacked  by  pneumonia,  a  disease  of  great  prevalence 
in  the  rarified  atmosphere  of  that  high  altitude,  and  in 
June  following  he  died.  His  wife,  who  is  known  on 
the  stage  as  M'lle  Morlacchi,  was  with  him  during  his 
illness  and  nursed  him  with  all  the  care  and  tender  atten- 
tion that  a  devoted  wife  could  give. 

Texas  Jack  was  a  true  exponent  of  Western  civilization : 
courageous,  true  to  his  friends,  unfaltering  in  the  line  of 
duty  and  resolute  under  all  circumstances.  His  grave  is 
among  those  whose  adventurous  spirits  led  them  to  the 
auriferous  fields  of  Leadville  only  to  lay  down  their  hopes 
and  burdens  beside  the  still  waters  and  peaceful  fields  of 
death ;  but  it  is  kept  green  by  friendly  hands,  while  his 
name  i*  ever  fresh  in  the  memory  of  companions  who 
cherish  the  traits  of  his  noble  manhood. 


